All Europe
First LookAnti-immigration party opposes Swedish left in vote too close to callIn Sweden’s latest elections, the center-right opposition holds a razor-thin edge over the governing Social Democrats with more than 94% of the ballots counted. Its popularity was won on rising fears of crime in largely immigrant neighborhoods.
First LookHas the tide turned in Ukraine? Russians routed in northeast.In a speedy counteroffensive, Ukraine retook much of a key eastern region, reversing hard-won Russian gains. The sudden, striking success is causing recriminations in Moscow and prompting some observers to claim Ukraine has turned the war in its favor.
First Look'A constant through everything': Britain mourns Queen ElizabethAs Britain mourns the death of Queen Elizabeth II scores of admirers are congregating at the palace gates to honor their longest-reigning monarch. Her son, King Charles III, will take the throne in a tumultuous time for the nation.
First Look‘Russia will be free’: Putin critic makes jail a soapbox for dissentA Russian dissident won’t let the Kremlin’s continuing crackdown on free expression shut him up, even as he faces up to 10 years in prison. Speaking from his jail cell, Ilya Yashin urges Russians to dissent and become part of a free world: “It is only our responsibility.”
First LookIconic French glassmaker pauses production as energy costs riseFrench tableware brand Duralex will cease production on Nov. 1 after 77 years as energy costs increase. Duralex joins a slew of European firms, including German bakeries, that have reduced or halted production because of the pandemic and war in Ukraine.
Queen Elizabeth: The monarch at the heart of an evolving BritainQueen Elizabeth II oversaw Britain’s struggle to define itself in the postwar era. Yet through the tumult, the queen’s legacy has been to maintain a sense of purpose – for country and monarchy – when pessimism and insecurity could have led Britons to turn their backs.
First LookEurope tries to reel in sky-high inflation with rapid rate hikeThe European Central Bank increased its interest rate Thursday by the largest amount in its history. The bank joins other central banks around the world trying to slow record inflation by raising interest rates.
No Paris? No problem! Russian tourists holiday in the homeland this summer.Amid war and sanctions, Russian tourists have been cut off from many vacation spots this summer. That has spurred a boom in travel to destinations within their own vast homeland.
First LookBlack history restored: New life for Atlanta civil rights homeA Victorian Atlanta home with a storied past was bought by an Atlanta couple who wanted to preserve its place in Black American history. The restoration was filmed by PBS, which will air as part of the channel’s series “This Old House” on Sept. 29.
First LookItaly's left sees hope in young progressive candidate for premierElly Schlein is facing off against far-right leader Giorgia Meloni to become Italy’s first female premier. Ms. Schlein, who volunteered on former President Obama’s presidential campaigns, wants to create a progressive coalition that might unite the Italian left.
First LookRussian shelling knocks Ukrainian nuclear plant offlineMinor damage caused by Russian shelling has stressed a fragile situation at Europe’s largest nuclear plant in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Concerns about the safety of frontline plant persist as U.N. inspectors continue to tour the complex and assess risks.
First LookBritain's new PM: Liz Truss takes the helm of a crisis-battered UKLiz Truss of the Conservative Party assumed role as Britain’s prime minister Tuesday. As new leader of the nation, she will face a host of challenges from skyrocketing energy costs to a struggling public health service.
Ukraine’s wartime schools: Intensity, purpose, and an eye to safetyAs a safety-minded Ukraine launches a new school year at a time of war, the conflict has sharpened a seriousness of purpose – among educators and students alike.
Who’s a Latvian and why? A complex question just got harder.The Latvian government’s fear of Moscow, in the wake of the Ukraine invasion, has halted Riga’s efforts to incorporate its ethnic Russian citizens.
First LookAchievements and failures: How the world remembers Mikhail GorbachevThe departure of Mikhail Gorbachev, who brought tremendous change to Russia, Europe, and the world as steward of the Soviet Union in its twilight years, prompted praise, reflections, and some bitter resentment from leaders and diplomats around the globe.
Mikhail Gorbachev, the man who changed the worldMikhail Gorbachev helped end the Cold War and oversaw the dissolution of the totalitarian Soviet Union. But he was widely reviled in Russia.
What’s booming in wartime Odesa? Laughter.Delivering joy at times of stress is a tough act. Unless, perhaps, you’re a comedian. In Odesa, a new crop of stand-up comics is giving war-weary audiences some comfort.
First LookPerilous mission: UN agency heads to inspect Ukraine's nuclear plantA team from the U.N. is on its way to Ukraine’s atomic energy plant in the heart of the fighting. This mission will be the hardest in the history of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
Foreign sports stars flee Russia as world shuns their teamsThe Ukraine war has isolated Russia from the world of sport, keeping it from international competition and draining foreign stars from local leagues.
For Ukrainians, this year, ‘Russia put independence in our hearts’That freedom is taken for granted until someone tries to take it away might be a truism. Yet a Monitor reporter in Ukraine found Independence Day to be especially resonant this year.
