All Europe
- Not waving, but drowning? Russia talks tough on sanctions
The Kremlin has argued that broader Western sanctions would make Russia more self-sufficient. But economists warn that if sanctions persist, the damage could be crippling.
- What Simon Ostrovsky's detention means for Ukraine's information wars
The American reporter for Vice News had been shooting often reckless videos of the crisis before he was grabbed by pro-Russia militiamen. He was released Thursday after being held for four days.
- Pro-Russia militias say they know what they want. But do they?
Militants occupying government buildings across eastern Ukraine are clear in their calls for 'federalization.' When pressed on what that means, though, things get murky.
- What's behind Cameron's embrace of 'Christian Britain'?
The British prime minister last week said that Britons should be proud of being a 'Christian country,' provoking a backlash from secularists who prefer a more pluralist society.
- Did the Kremlin just 'unfriend' the founder of Russia's Facebook?
VKontakte founder and CEO Pavel Durov says he was fired over his resistance to Moscow's efforts to monitor and control access to the popular social media platform.
- In Kosovo's capital, new mayor fights corruption – by doing his job
Pristina's mayor, Shpend Ahmeti, has earned plaudits – and death threats – by investigating corruption, making hiring transparent, and even selling the posh mayoral car.
- An apoplexy over apostrophes in Cambridge, England
A policy to remove apostrophes from signs in the learned English town has touched off a firestorm – and sent vigilante grammarians into the streets with markers in hand.
- 25 years later, western Germany is still pumping money to the east
Since the Berlin Wall fell, the west has transferred some $1.8 trillion eastward – and counting. Many in other struggling regions think it's time to reconsider.
- Would Obama save Putin from drowning? Putin says yes.
Putin fielded this question at his annual telethon, along with other more serious queries about the crisis in Ukraine and – asked by Edward Snowden – Russia's domestic spying.
- Will blame game keep West and Russia apart at Ukraine talks?
Talks on Ukraine start tomorrow in Geneva. The US and EU have cited Russian agitation as the source of the unrest, but Moscow says the West has misjudged matters from the start.
- An orange-black ribbon holds a clue to eastern Ukraine's chaos
Since the political uprising in Kiev, pro-Russian forces in Ukraine have adopted the colors of St. George's ribbon, a potent symbol of Russian imperial might and Soviet-era bravery and glory.
- Why one Polish MP is working as a handyman in London
Artur Debski, a sitting member of the Polish parliament, has been looking for jobs, sleeping on floors, and trying to make ends meet in one of the top destinations for Polish emigrants.
- Mass DNA sweep in privacy-loving France: Why no backlash?
To identify a rapist, police have asked more than 500 men and boys at a school to give DNA evidence. So far, the French public seem supportive.
- Crimeans find their new lives in Russia harder than expected
A month after voting to join Russia, Crimeans are struggling with currency woes, a logjammed legal system, and a moribund tourist industry.
- Deadly clashes in eastern Ukraine as pro-Russian militia tighten grip
Ukraine's interior ministry said a soldier died after a firefight with pro-Russian paramilitaries, a day after the seizure of several police stations. NATO says Russian troops are massing on the border.
- A century on, World War I remains 'the Great War' for the Brits. Why?
The First World War occupies a singular place in Britain's identity and imagination, in part because the precise reasons for the conflict are still so hard to fathom.
- Lily-white workers wanted, says Dutch cleaning company
The company's 'whites only' Facebook ad made headlines this week in the Netherlands, which has seen a rise in overt racism and xenophobia in recent years.
- Russians warned if they go abroad, US might snatch them
US secret services are actively 'hunting' and jailing Russians in revenge for the annexation of Crimea – or so a warning by the Russian Foreign Ministry says.
- Spain: A human-rights avenger no longer?
Madrid is trying to end Spain's universal jurisdiction law, which proponents say has helped human rights victims find justice – but has also caused major diplomatic headaches.
- Can Russia's military fly without Ukraine's parts?
Russian forces rely on Ukrainian engines, weapons, and aircraft – and Kiev, fearing invasion, is considering pulling the plug on its supplies.