Russia Rejects Criticism of Its U.N. Veto on Syria

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:15:17 GMT

Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, on Monday lashed out at critics of Russia’s decision to veto a United Nations resolution on Syria and reiterated objections to the plan.

Emil Boc, Romanian Prime Minister, Resigns Amid Protests

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:51:24 GMT

After weeks of protests, Emil Boc, Romania’s prime minister, resigned Monday, the latest European leader to fall victim to a mood of public outrage over austerity measures and stagnant growth.

Greece Accedes to Civil Service Job Cuts

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:03:30 GMT

Greece’s coalition government on Monday announced that it would cut 15,000 positions this year, amid mounting international pressure to agree on austerity measures.

Alberto Contador Found Guilty of Doping

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:02:34 GMT

An appeals court ruled on Monday that Alberto Contador, a three-time winner of the Tour de France, used a performance-enhancing drug when he won the race in 2010.

Roman Catholic Church Convenes Assembly on Abuse Prevention

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:14:47 GMT

The Vatican described the unprecedented assembly as a response to a painful issue that has wracked the Church and estranged many faithful.

Conservative Wins Finland Presidential Vote

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:11:48 GMT

A former finance minister won Finland's presidential election Sunday and will become the country's first conservative head of state in five decades.

Greece Agrees to Harsh New Spending Cuts

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:50:06 GMT

The interim government agreed to cut spending this year by 1.5 percent of Greece’s gross domestic product, but members have yet to agree on details of austerity measures.

With Focus on Economy, National Front Makes Gains in Northern France

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:53:42 GMT

The National Front party is finding support in parts of France’s post-industrial north where financial issues are proving more important than immigration.

Hundreds of Deaths as Europe Struggles With Snow Amid an Intense Cold Snap

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:50:06 GMT

Extreme cold and heavy snow buried parts of Europe over the last few days, claiming hundreds of lives, straining utilities and snarling transportation.

Briefly: Education: Collaboration Brings Google to French Business School

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 07:27:20 GMT

In "Google@HEC," a series of lectures, seminars and meetings for students will be led by digital entrepreneurs and Google employees.

E.U. Rebuffs China's Challenge to Airline Emission System

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:56:31 GMT

The system, which requires airlines to account for all of their emissions on flights involving European airports, is the Union's boldest move to date to protect the climate.

E.U. Presses Google to Delay Privacy Policy Changes

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 08:11:02 GMT

Viviane Reding, the European Union justice commissioner, is pressing Google to halt changes to its privacy policies while the implications for personal data protection are being explored.

Greek Premier Is Tested in Impasse Over Pay Cuts

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:31:02 GMT

Prime Minister Lucas Papademos faces a deadlock over proposed demands by Greece’s foreign lenders to reduce private-sector wages in exchange for aid the country needs to prevent default.

In the Margaret Thatcher Style

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:08:35 GMT

Accomplished women of a certain generation reinforced their power with hard-edged clothing styles.

Letter from Europe: U.S. Sees Europe as Not Pulling Its Weight Militarily

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:31:54 GMT

Europeans do not grasp how bad the trans-Atlantic relationship has become as Europe refuses to pick up more of the military burden and Washington makes a strategic shift from Europe to Asia.

Protesters Throng Frozen Moscow in Anti-Putin March

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:46:38 GMT

A third huge rally was undeterred by the arctic cold or by the near certainty that Vladimir V. Putin will win a six-year term as Russia’s president next month.

Panetta and Clinton Reassure Europe on Defense

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 06:00:44 GMT

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton sought to reassure Europe on Saturday that the United States was not abandoning its partners across the Atlantic.

Greek Talks at a Delicate Point, Official Says

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 08:14:51 GMT

The Greek finance minister said that debt talks on a second rescue deal were “on a razor’s edge,” with major issues unresolved ahead of a crucial deadline on Sunday.

Tempers Rise Over Gas Supply to West From Russia

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 06:55:09 GMT

Low supplies in Western Europe have caused tension to the east during an especially frigid winter.

Chris Huhne Resignation in Britain Shakes Cameron’s Coalition

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:13:40 GMT

Chris Huhne, the energy and climate chief, is accused of perverting the course of justice in a 2003 speeding case.

Putin Aide Says Foreign Hands Are Behind Protests

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:51:02 GMT

The aide, Dmitri S. Peskov, said that Russian intelligence services previously reported plans for the outbreak of protests, implying that a blueprint for unrest was drawn up in Washington.

World Briefing | Europe: U.N. Court Upholds German Immunity From Suits by Victims of Nazi Atrocities

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 06:55:09 GMT

The United Nations’ highest court confirmed on Friday that Germany has legal immunity from being sued in foreign courts by victims of Nazi atrocities.

Open Borders and Wealth Lure Thieves to Geneva

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:29:50 GMT

In Geneva, a city known for tranquility and safety, reported cases of property theft rose 23 percent last year, to about 61,000.

Anti-Putin Protesters Challenged by Russia’s Subzero Forecast

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:50:10 GMT

With frigid temperature expected, organizers of a protest planned for Saturday are scrambling for ideas to maintain the movement’s momentum — without freezing.

World Briefing | Europe: Britain: Assange Hearing Ends

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:55:10 GMT

During the last day of a two-day hearing, prosecutors argued that failing to send Julian Assange to Sweden in a sexual misconduct case would “undermine” the extradition system in Europe.

Hacking Questions at Times of London

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:35:09 GMT

The hacking scandal at Rupert Murdoch’s British newspapers widened on Thursday when a lawmaker said police investigations had spread to the flagship Times of London.

The Powerful Resist Change to Greek Tax System

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:50:03 GMT

The Greek government is proving powerless to transform an inefficient public administration that has served as a power base for the same political leaders now being asked to dismantle it.

Fessenheim Journal: Wishing Upon an Atom in a Tiny French Village

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:10:02 GMT

In the village of Fessenheim, an aging nuclear plant stirs both protests and support over the use of nuclear power across France.

World Briefing | Europe: Turkey: Ex-Chief of Military Is Charged

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:50:10 GMT

Ilker Basbug was charged with leading a leading a terrorist group and masterminding coup plots to overthrow the Islamic-inspired government.

Greek Debt Talks Progress, but Budget Fight Threatens Bailout

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:55:09 GMT

A deal with private bondholders to reduce Greece's debt appears close, but political turmoil could derail agreement on other measures to secure the next installment of rescue funds.

An Olympic Plethora of London Homes

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:37:54 GMT

Owners are deriving significant income from about 48,000 residences in the central part of the city while meeting the demand for tourism rentals as the Summer Games approach.

Putin Concedes He May Not Win 1st Round of Russian Elections

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:30:08 GMT

While acknowledging Wednesday that he may not win the presidency in the first round, Vladimir V. Putin said that a second round of voting would lead to political turbulence in Russia.

Soldier Says Syrian Atrocities Forced Him to Defect

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:24:47 GMT

Ammar Cheikh Omar, who returned to his parents’ homeland from Germany, said he was forced to shoot at protesters and witness torture.

France Knew of Breast Implant Problems in 1996

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 07:55:06 GMT

Responding to a government report that cited weak oversight, the health authorities said they were not to blame for defective breast implants by Poly Implants Prothèses, which closed in 2010.

Militants Admit Plan to Bomb London Stock Exchange

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:50:06 GMT

A group of four Islamic militants, all of them British citizens, admitted on Wednesday to a conspiracy to place a bomb in the toilets of the London Stock Exchange.

Hacking E-Mail Deleted From a Murdoch Computer, Lawyers Say

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:27:16 GMT

The e-mail to Rupert Murdoch’s son was deleted from his computer less than a week before the police opened their current investigation into phone hacking.

Divers Suspend Underwater Search of Costa Concordia in Italy

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:20:09 GMT

The Italian Civil Protection Agency said on Tuesday that deteriorating safety conditions had forced divers to suspend the underwater search for missing people aboard the Costa Concordia.

World Briefing | Europe: At Least 58 Killed in Eastern European Cold Wave

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:20:22 GMT

At least 58 people have died in the last week in a brutal cold wave that has plunged temperatures to 17 degrees below zero in some areas.

French Court to Rule on Armenian Genocide Legislation

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:20:23 GMT

Turkey has suspended many of its ties to France since passage of the bill concerning the killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turkish troops during World War I.

Sodeto Journal: Tiny Village of Sodeto Wins Big in Spain’s Lottery

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 06:55:08 GMT

All but one household in Sodeto, Spain, held at least a piece of a winning ticket in the Christmas lottery’s huge first prize of $950 million, the biggest ever.

World Briefing | Europe: Britain: 2 Libyans Sue Former Counterterrorism Chief

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:20:09 GMT

Two Libyan men have filed suit against a former official at Britain’s MI6 intelligence service, which they say colluded in operations that delivered them to Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi’s secret police.

European Parliament Official Assails Sharing of Passenger Data

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:00:51 GMT

Sophie in ‘t Veld, a Dutch member of the European Parliament, said the U.S.-E.U. deal failed to address earlier concerns raised by the Parliament, particularly on the issue of privacy.

Baltasar Garzón of Spain Testifies at His Own Trial

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:05:06 GMT

Baltasar Garzón took the stand in Madrid on Tuesday, saying that his decision to investigate atrocities during the Spanish Civil War was not driven by political ideology.

WORLD: An Interview with Jelle Visser

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:52:56 GMT

Jelle Visser, a journalist for the Dutch news television program, “EenVandaag,” explains why he was charged with invading the privacy of a convicted Nazi war criminal in Germany.

Cold Weather Grips Europe

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:24:39 GMT

A spell of freezing weather in Europe has caused more than 300 deaths, mostly in Poland and Ukraine, and caused disruptions through much of the continent.

WORLD: Assange Fights Extradition

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 21:17:06 GMT

February 1, 2012 - WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange appeared before Britain's Supreme Court to fight extradition to Sweden where he faces accusations of sexual misconduct.

The Lede Blog: Russian Diplomat Blocking U.N. Action in Syria Facilitated It in Bosnia

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:00:48 GMT

Vitaly Churkin, the Russian diplomat blocking United Nations action on Syria, played a very different role during the war in Bosnia.

The Lede Blog: Travelers Say They Were Denied Entry to U.S. for Twitter Jokes

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:56:17 GMT

Two travelers say they were detained overnight, questioned by federal agents and sent home to Europe because of joking Twitter messages that were taken as threats.

The Lede Blog: Paratroopers' Anti-Putin Song Stirs the Opposition

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 00:49:51 GMT

A video of a musical group, apparently featuring former Russian paratroopers, performing a song with lyrics sharply critical of Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin, quickly became an Internet sensation after it was posted to YouTube on Thursday.

Op-Ed Columnist: Things Are Not O.K.

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:00:01 GMT

The unemployment report was genuinely good, but there’s a downside: the calls to stop focusing on job creation.