All Europe
- Kremlin: Adoption ban needed to create 'Russia Without Orphans'
Responding to a 20,000-strong protest in Moscow Sunday against the ban on US adoptions of Russian orphans, the Kremlin said that the law is part of a plan to improve Russian orphanages.
- Silvio Berlusconi must face 'Heartstealer' trial
Judges in Milan do not excuse former Italian prime-minister Silvio Berlusconi, charged with paying for sex with underage dancer, from court despite upcoming Italian election. Prostitution charge had become known as the tycoon's 'Bunga Bunga' moment. Berlusconi denies wrong-doing.
- Tearful survivors mark Costa Concordia anniversary on Giglio
More than 100 survivors and relatives of the 32 people who died in the shipwreck converged on the tiny Italian island into which the luxury cruise liner crashed last year.
- Three women 'executed' as 'dark forces' at work in Paris, says Kurdish official
Three women 'executed': No clear suspects after three Kurdish female political figures were assassinated in Paris early Thursday. Kurdish leaders say the attack on three women is an effort to block moves toward peace.
- Tunnel vision: London celebrates 150th birthday of its iconic 'Tube'
Construction, crowding, and labor disputes rattle commuters daily. But world's oldest underground passenger rail is 'still at the heart of everything London does,' says London's elated mayor.
- Is Russia backing off its anti-US adoption ban?
A Putin spokesman said today that the ban on adoption of Russian orphans by Americans will not kick in until 2014. Is Putin just abiding by treaty requirements, or is he softening?
- Europe's recession puts Italian women's workplace gains on ice
Although chronically low, the employment rate for women in Italy had been on a gradual upswing in recent decades. But with the recession, that trend stopped.
- Britain debates: What should European welfare look like?
The debate in Parliament, which today passed a measure to temporarily cap most welfare benefits, is part of a larger debate in Europe over how to handle welfare amid the debt crisis.
- Does Depardieu herald Russia as a tax haven for Europe?
Fleeing France's high taxes for Russia's flat 13 percent rate, the French actor spoke of Russia in glowing terms during a high-profile meeting with Vladimir Putin over the weekend.
- FocusDo French women need feminism?
Working French women, backed by generous government policies, enjoy a reputation for 'having it all.' But that may not mean what Americans might think.
- FocusFrance's 'boys will be boys' mentality challenges gender equality
The French may duly proclaim and agree with gender equality and modern feminist notions. But in practice, those ideas run up against a powerful, culturally sanctioned 'old-boy mentality.'
- Is this the year that the eurocrisis ends?
The European Central Bank has moved to shore up the euro, investors are more confident, and European leaders are surprisingly upbeat. But critics warn that Europe is not out of the woods.
- Is Russia trying a dead whistle-blower because of a US law?
The US recently enacted legislation targeting those Russian officials involved in the 2009 death of whistle-blowing lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, spurring an angry reaction from the Kremlin.
- Italians, backed by the Catholic Church, aim to stop Sunday shopping
A law that deregulates store hours in Italy, allowing businesses to operate on Sundays in order to stimulate economic growth, has fueled opposition since its inception a year ago.
- A year after being literally wiped out, a Russian hockey team flourishes
Last November, nearly every member of the team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl was killed in a plane crash that devastated the hockey world. Today, the team is one of the KHL's best.
- Doing the Lindy for fun and exercise in Moscow
A forbidden cultural import during the cold war, American swing dance and rock 'n' roll are now seeing a jump in popularity among Russians who embrace the retro Americana.