Europe
Floods become UK election issue as parties spar over funding
British political leaders swapped blame Saturday over floods that have drenched parts of England as the deluge became an issue in the campaign for the Dec. 12 election.
French bishops approve payments for church sex abuse victims
French bishops on Saturday approved plans to financially compensate people abused sexually within the Roman Catholic Church.
New military pullback begins in eastern Ukraine
Ukrainian and separatist rebel officials say both sides have begun pulling back forces and equipment from a frontline area of the conflict that has killed more than 13,000 people in the past five years.
Greek counterterror operation yields 3 arrests, arms cache
Greek authorities announced Saturday they had arrested three people and detained a further 15 in a "wide sweep" by the police's counterterrorism squad on suspected left-wing extremists that also yielded an arms cache.
Danish gov't announces new climate partnership on waste, water and circular economy
Danish Minister of the Environment Lea Wermelin has appointed Camilla Haustrup Hermansen, director and co-owner of the Plus Pack, an international food packing company, as chairman of a new climate partnership focusing on waste, water and the circular economy, said a press release from the ministry here on Saturday.
Indebted Italian man accused of triggering deadly explosion
An Italian prosecutor says a heavily indebted man seeking to make a false insurance claim has confessed to setting off explosions at a farmhouse he owned that killed three firefighters.
UK election boosts hopes of pro-independence Scottish party
The Scottish National Party launched its campaign for Britain's Dec. 12 election on Friday, urging Scots to send its lawmakers to London in order to bring Scotland a step closer to independence.
Torrential rain in England kills 1; floods streets
Torrential rain drenched parts of north and central England, swelling rivers, forcing evacuations and disrupting travel. One woman died after being swept away by surging waters.
Boy whose mother joined IS in Syria returns to dad in Italy
An 11-year-old Albanian boy whose mother took him to Syria when she joined the Islamic State group has returned to Italy to join his father.
Human Rights Watch says Croatia should not join Schengen
A leading international human rights body says Croatia should not be allowed into the European Union's border-free travel zone because of its treatment of migrants crossing into the country from neighboring Bosnia.