Europe News Headlines

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Crowds are gathering in St. Peter's Square for Pope Benedict XVI's first Sunday window blessing since his retirement announcement, and the second-to-last before he leaves the papacy.

CHELYABINSK, Russia (AP) — As a small army of people worked to replace acres of windows shattered by the enormous explosion from a meteor, many joked on Saturday about what had happened in this troubled pocket of Russia.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hugh Grant announced on Saturday that he had become a father for the second time after Tinglan Hong gave birth to a baby boy. "In answer to some journos (journalists)," the British actor posted on the social media website Twitter, "am thrilled my daughter now has a brother. Adore them both to an …

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's long-established designers brought classic elegance to the catwalks, while up-and-coming talent packed a punch with fun, youthful styles on the second day of London Fashion Week. One of Kate Middleton's' favoured designers, Daniella Helayel, showcased a collection of printed chiffon kaftans, …

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican raised the possibility Saturday that the conclave to elect the next pope might start sooner than March 15, the earliest date possible under current rules that require a 15 to 20 day waiting period after the papacy becomes vacant.

LONDON (Reuters) - Brazilian-born designer Daniella Helayel, whose clothes have become a firm favourite of Kate Middleton, sent her models down the catwalk on the second day of London Fashion Week in printed chiffon kaftans, woven jacquards and geometric patterns. The label is known for its colourful printed dresses and …

VATICAN CITY (AP) — It's a ritual as rich in tradition and symbolism as the Catholic Church can muster: secret oaths, hypnotic Gregorian chants, scarlet-decked cardinals filing through the Sistine Chapel — all while the public outside in St. Peter's Square watches for white smoke or black to learn if it has a new pope.

LONDON (AP) — London Fashion Week swings into star time with a debut fashion show from pop star Rihanna and other big design names, including Issa and Jasper Conran.

ROME (AP) — A court in L'Aquila, Italy, has convicted four people in the collapse of a university dormitory during the 2009 earthquake in that Apennine mountain town. Eight students died in the collapse during the powerful quake, which struck in the pre-dawn hours of April 6, 2009.

BERLIN (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI said last August that his strength was diminishing and "not much more" could be expected from him as pontiff, according to a German journalist who interviewed him for a 2010 book in which Benedict said popes should in some circumstances consider resigning.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The chancellor of the exchequer, George Osborne, said on Saturday that the Group of 20 would state its opposition to competitive currency devaluations. "The G7 made a very clear statement this week. I think you'll see the G20 echo what was said, and say that currencies should not be used as a tool of …

MOSCOW (AP) — With a blinding flash and a booming shock wave, a meteor blazed across the western Siberian sky Friday and exploded with the force of 20 atomic bombs, injuring more than 1,000 people as it blasted out windows and spread panic in a city of 1 million.

LONDON (Reuters) - In a move that might lift the spirits of cash-strapped Britons before the next general election, the government is considering giving away its stake in state-controlled Royal Bank of Scotland by 2015, newspapers reported on Friday. The government owns 82 percent of RBS after rescuing the bank by pumping …

LONDON (Reuters) - Monochrome dresses with bold bursts of colour and dashes of feathers and fur kicked off London Fashion Week on Friday as designers showcased elegant and minimalist creations for Autumn/Winter 2013. Blacks, whites and greys formed the base palette for the collections that hit the runway on the London leg …

MOSCOW (AP) — With a blinding flash and a booming shock wave, a meteor blazed across the sky over Russia's Ural Mountains region Friday and exploded with the force of an atomic bomb, injuring more than 1,000 people as it blasted out windows and spread panic in a city of 1 million.

LONDON (Reuters) - The leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party called on Thursday for a tax on expensive homes to fund a new lower-income tax band to help the country's lowest earners. Setting out some of the first concrete ideas of what his party would offer voters at the next election, which is expected in 2015, Ed …

(Reuters) - A passenger from the stricken Triumph cruise ship sued Carnival Corp on Friday over "horrifying" conditions, including being forced to wade through human faeces from overflowing toilets after power was knocked out by a fire. The lawsuit by Cassie Terry of Brazoria County, Texas, alleged Carnival failed to provide …

LONDON (Reuters) - In one of Britain's oldest butcher's shops, staff in straw hats are rushing to cope with a surge in demand for pricey pies and sausages from customers worried about a scandal over mislabelled horsemeat and rich enough to buy peace of mind. Founded in 1850, Lidgates in London's smart Notting Hill district …

BELFAST (Reuters) - Horse meat has been discovered in a batch of beef burgers supplied to hospitals in Northern Ireland, officials said on Friday. The supplier of the hospitals, Irish food firm Rangeland Foods, said the burgers used meat from Poland and some contained between 5 percent and 30 percent horse meat. Horse meat …

LONDON (AP) — The European Union agreed Friday to begin random DNA checks on meat products in a bid to put a lid on a spreading scandal over horsemeat, while British authorities announced traces of horse had been found in school meals, restaurant dishes and hospital food, as well as supermarket products.

LONDON (Reuters) - A fourth person in Britain has contracted a potentially fatal SARS-like virus which was unknown in humans until a few months ago, but health officials said on Friday the risk to the population remained very low. Confirming the third British case this week of infection the new virus - known as novel coronavirus, …

LONDON (Reuters) - Tesco, Britain's biggest supermarket chain, has responded to the scandal of horsemeat being sold as beef with a pledge to offer customers insight into its global supply chain. Regulators and companies in the food industry have been rushing to deal with issues thrown up by the crisis and ease consumer …

NIS, Serbia (AP) — To Bratislav Stojanovic, the best way to cope in the world of the living is to descend among the dead.