All Europe
- At Asia's heart, Lake Baikal stirs Russians to protect nature
Environmental protections are often reactive, coming only after pristine areas have succumbed to pollution and degradation. But on Siberia's Lake Baikal, care for nature has always been a way of life. Fifth in a five-part series.
- Why Russia isn’t flinching at snowballing US sanctions
Sanctions are often seen as an effective tool for encouraging nations to change their behavior. But when it comes to Russia, the United States may soon learn that too many sanctions can have an opposite effect.
- The Kremlin pushes pension reform, but the Russian public pushes back
After years of avoiding it, the Kremlin finally has decided to grasp the third rail of Russian politics: pension reform. The plan to raise retirement ages is stirring deep public resistance.
- Once banished by czars, a centuries-old sect finds new life in modern Russia
It sounds like fiction: a religious group exiled to Siberia in the 1600s and later persecuted by the Soviets. But that’s the history of Buryatia’s Old Believers, who are now being welcomed back into Russian society. Fourth in a five-part series.
- First LookBritain details plan to maintain stability in case of no-deal Brexit
The government is preparing for all scenarios if Britain leaves the European Union in seven months without a deal. The plan reveals the scope of potential disruption to the British economy and daily life.
- First LookMerkel, Putin will discuss Trump worries at meeting
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet Saturday to discuss worries about President Trump's foreign relations strategy as well as Syria's civil war, the conflict in Ukraine, and a gas pipeline – criticized by Mr. Trump as Russian control over Germany.
- Russia takes a new look at an old enemy: Genghis Khan
It isn't easy for the conquered to see the contributions that a conqueror made to their country. It's even harder when that conqueror is Genghis Khan in Russia. But in the republic of Buryatia, the view is indeed shifting. Third in a five-part series.
- Can tourist meccas beat the heat?
A heat wave in Europe this summer has given vacationers pause for thought about whether they want to broil while traveling. How can the world's tourist destinations stay attractive in the face of global warming?
- First LookItaly bridge collapse serves as a cautionary tale on older bridges
While investigators don't yet know why the Morandi Bridge in the Italian city of Genoa collapsed on Tuesday, killing at least 39 people, the disaster brings to the fore issues with aging bridges.
- First LookKosovo president wants to redraw border with Serbia to ease tensions
Kosovo – which is not recognized by nations including Serbia and Russia – is calling to "correct" its border with Serbia, incorporating part of Serbia. The Balkan nations have made little progress on normalizing relations since agreeing to do so in 2013 as a prerequisite for EU membership.
- First LookDeaths of African laborers highlight dire working conditions in Italy
Within three days, 16 migrant laborers were killed in two separate car crashes while returning home from grueling harvesting jobs in Italy's tomato fields. The tragic accidents have shed light on the perils migrants face while employed by Italy's farming industry.
- France fights flight to big cities with funds for smaller towns
With high unemployment and empty storefronts, France’s smaller towns aren’t functioning well. The government hopes an investment of €5 billion in 222 communities will help attract younger residents and revitalize city cores.
- Buddhism flourishes in Siberia, opening window on its pre-Soviet past
Orthodox Christianity may be Russia's most high-profile religion, but it is only one of the country's four official “founding” faiths. Another of the four, Buddhism, has been experiencing a rebirth in post-Soviet Russia. Second in a five-part series.
- Will rising summer temperatures raise world’s climate change concern?
It’s been an extraordinarily hot summer – with deadly effect – all across the Northern Hemisphere. Has the heat been changing how people think about climate change?
- ‘La vie en vert’: Green living in the French countryside
The village of Langouët in northern France is small, but it’s doing a lot to help the environment. It has funded a number of innovative projects that are eco-friendly, making the town one of the most sustainable in France.
- Russia's Asian and European halves meet and mix in remote Buryatia
Russia isn't just the cathedral-and-Kremlin society pictured by the West. In the remote – and struggling – republic of Buryatia, a mix of Cossacks and Mongols, Orthodox Christian exiles and Buddhists populate a decidedly different Russia. First in a five-part series.
- First LookJewish teens step up to quell anti-Semitism in German schools
With the number of Holocaust survivors dwindling, Jewish teenagers have become the new ambassadors to educate their peers about Jewish life and culture.
- First LookGermany allows asylum seekers to reunite with family members
Following a record influx of refugees in Germany, the government stopped allowing asylum seekers to bring immediate family members to the country in 2016. Now, the ban has been lifted and families can reunite, but the move has reignited divisive debates about immigration.
- First LookUnshaken by doubts, Thomas wins first Tour de France title
Geraint Thomas of Britain won his first ever Tour de France title on July 29, persevering through the skepticism thrown his way by fans by being the steadiest bike rider from the start.
- As same-sex couples in France try to adopt, conservative forces push back
France may look highly progressive, given its legalization of same-sex marriage five years ago. But French society is more conservative than it seems, a fact manifesting as now-married LGBT couples try to adopt.