All Europe
Mysterious burst of light over Russia leaves scientists, locals guessingOn Friday evening, a yellow flash filled the skies over Russia's sparsely populated Urals region. Was it a meteor? A rocket launch? No one seems to know.
Unusual Russian orbiter has stargazers wondering: Is it a satellite killer?Object 2014-28E, a Russian satellite, has been scooting across the skies in an odd fashion – and stirring speculation that Russia has reignited its space-weapons program.
Ukraine takes economic swing at rebels – but might hit pensioners insteadPresident Poroshenko canceled a 'special status' law for Donetsk and Luhansk, effectively cutting off the regions' hospitals, schools, and pensioners from state money. Many worry that it will hurt defenseless locals.
Cameron plans to bar British jihadis from coming home. Is that legal?Prime Minister Cameron announced a raft of new laws meant to prevent British citizens returning from Syria and Iraq from radicalizing. But observers say the plan is likely to run afoul of preexisting human rights laws.
Can gold deflect Western economic attacks? The Kremlin thinks so.Russia's Central Bank has been buying up huge quantities of gold – 55 tons in the third quarter alone – as a means to pad the economy against Western sanctions' bite.
Is the Dutch 'Black Pete' racist? Legally, not yet.As the Christmas season begins, many people dress up as Santa Claus helper 'Black Pete' by donning blackface and curly wigs. Opponents were disappointed when a Dutch court refused to rule on whether that violates antidiscrimination laws.
Nuclear curve ball? Russia inks deal with Iran for new reactorsThe agreement, which could see Russia build eight new civilian reactors in Iran, comes just weeks before a deadline for Iran to accept curbs on its capacity to make nuclear weapons.
- In Denmark, a new tactic for returning European jihadis: counseling
Police in Aarhus, Denmark's second largest city, offer mentoring and assistance in finding jobs to those returning from fighting in Syria's civil war.
Falling ruble doesn't hit Putin – at least, not yetRussia's ruble has lost half its value against the dollar this year – 10 percent in just the past week. But most Russians still support President Putin in the sanctions and counter-sanctions battle with the West that has hurt the Russian currency.
The ExplainerWhy is everyone in Britain wearing a red poppy?The centennial of the start of World War I has captured the imagination of Britons and others across Europe. Why has the poppy become a test of patriotism?
25 years since fall of the Berlin Wall, tracing a winding historyGermans and foreign tourists traced the route of the Cold War relic today, remembering a divided history and a wound that still figures prominently in the German psyche.
From the Monitor archives: After the fall of the Berlin Wall, what's next?Twenty-five years ago today, the fall of the Berlin Wall was welcomed by the West, but many worried about what it meant for Germany and for East-West relations. The Christian Science Monitor reported as it happened.
From the Monitor archives: Joy in Berlin as the Wall fallsTwenty-five years ago today, the Berlin Wall came down, paving the way for the end of the cold war and the reunification of Germany. The Christian Science Monitor reported as it happened.
Do fascists truly trouble Putin? Depends which ones you mean.The Russian president has made repeated warnings about newly empowered fascists and Nazis, both in Ukraine and across Europe. Russian analysts say the issue is serious – but that Putin is ignoring real fascist threats in favor of furthering his own policies.
After Berlin Wall, did West Germany absorb East, or vice versa?When the Berlin Wall came down, many thought it was East Germany that was being absorbed into the West. But modern Germany has a much more eastern sensibility today than had been expected.
Not just New York City: Catcalling video strikes chord with Europe's womenThe video of a woman getting sexually harassed in New York garnered much attention in the US, but also in Europe, where women say catcalling is just as much a problem there, and cuts across racial and social lines.
In Ukraine, concerns rise of fresh conflict as peace plan collapsesUkrainian President Petro Poroshenko is ordering stronger defenses in key eastern cities, as NATO warns Russia is concentrating military forces on Ukraine's border.
With kin under Islamic State attack, German Kurds get politicalGermany's nearly million-strong Kurds are starting to flex their political muscle to bolster support for the terrorist-labeled PKK, which is fighting IS militants in Kobane and other Kurdish regions.
Why are more young Brits not drinking? The answer is, well, embarrassingOne in four British teens and young adults do not drink, according to a new survey. What's behind the rising abstention rates?
Could gas deal signal Russia - Ukraine detente?The accord is good news for millions of Ukrainians, who depend upon Russian gas to heat their homes and power their industries.
