RUSSIA-ECONOMY

MOSCOW — The Russian government, facing its worst economic crisis in a decade, on Wednesday detailed how it intends to cut spending over the next three years in all parts of the economy except military and social programs. By Nataliya Vasilyeva. 

EUROPE-HUMAN CARGO

ABOARD THE COAST GUARD CUTTER TYR — The crew was about to dig into dinner when word of the "ghost ship" came through: a freighter hurtling out of control toward Italy with no crew — and hundreds of Syrians as cargo. The cattle freighter — its animal pens crammed with families — was on a collision course with the Italian coast, and the refugee who had phoned authorities from on board said the cabin's controls were jammed. The Tyr changed course and set off on a race against time.

BRITAIN-POISONED SPY

LONDON — A pathologist testifies that the body of former Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko was so radioactive that his post-mortem was "one of the most dangerous" ever undertaken. In Moscow, one of the suspects accused by Britain says the evidence being presented is "nonsense." .

GERMANY-ECONOMY

BERLIN — German consumer confidence is at a 13-year high, buoyed by a rise in disposable income due to collapsing fuel and heating oil costs. The GfK research group said Wednesday its forward-looking consumer climate index rose to 9.3 points for February from 9 points the month before.

GERMANY-AIRPORT-STRIKES

BERLIN — Germany's ver.di trade union says private security personnel at the country's Duesseldorf and Cologne-Bonn airports will stage a one-day warning strike Thursday in a continuing dispute over wages.