Europe

Germany is the world's third-largest exporter of arms, like this bazooka destined for northern Iraq, being packed up at a German military base on Thursday. The country's economy minister has held up hundreds of weapons exports since he took office in Dece

World News

Germany's New Economy Minister Takes Aim At Arms Exports

1:20pm September 23, 2014

by Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson

The nation is the world's third-largest arms exporter, and many weapons go to countries with questionable human rights records. Sigmar Gabriel wants to change that — but not all Germans are on board.

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ISIS Purportedly Releases New Video Of British Hostage

12:38pm September 23, 2014

by Scott Neuman

In the second of a promised "lecture series," freelance photographer John Cantlie warns that Western governments "are hastily marching toward all-out war in Iraq and Syria."

World News

New Islamic State Video Purports To Show Kidnapped British Journalist

8:58am September 23, 2014

by Krishnadev Calamur

The man in the video says he is John Cantlie, a British journalist and hostage. He asks why his government has abandoned him. NPR hasn't independently verified the video's authenticity.

Are 'Color Revolutions' A New Front In U.S.-Russia Tensions?

7:01am September 23, 2014

by Corey Flintoff

Moscow has been talking lately about "color revolutions" as a new form of warfare employed by the West. The name comes from the Orange and Rose Revolutions in Ukraine and Georgia, respectively, but it's now being applied to popular rebellions such as those in Egypt and Syria. While Russia accuses the West of this kind of subversion, it seems to be following the same playbook in eastern Ukraine.

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Radcliffe Repays Soccer Team For Taxi Fare

7:15am September 22, 2014

The Dublin soccer team tweeted a photo of the cash and a note from actor Daniel Radcliffe, that read, "I couldn't live with myself if I didn't honor my word and pay you back."

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The Turmoil In Scotland, Expressed By Its Poets

4:17pm September 21, 2014

by Ari Shapiro

Scotland has a proud national tradition of poetry. Days after a historic referendum on independence, we look at how poems by Scottish writers can help us better understand this moment.

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Men and women in their traditional Bavarian clothing enjoy the atmosphere at the Augustiner Beer tent after the Parade of Costumes and Riflemen (Trachten- und Schuetzenzug) in Munich. The 181st Oktoberfest will be open to the public from September 20 thro

World News

For Oktoberfest-Goers In Munich, A Parade And A Party

1:46pm September 21, 2014

by Bill Chappell

Munich kicked off this year's Oktoberfest Saturday, beginning festivities in which the city expects to host 6 million visitors. For the first time, beer prices are above 10 euros per liter.

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From 'Yes' To 'No': One Scot's Shift On Independence

11:16am September 20, 2014

Scottish author Ewan Morrison started out campaigning for the "yes" vote in the independence referendum, but ended up in the "no" camp. He talks with NPR's Scott Simon about what made him make the jump.

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Pro-independence demonstrators shout slogans outside the Catalan parliament on Friday in Barcelona, Spain. The Catalan parliament has approved rules for a self-determination referendum — which would violate the Spanish constitution.

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Over Spain's Objections, Catalonia Plans Referendum On Independence

11:16am September 20, 2014

by Lauren Frayer

Now that Scotland has voted to stay in the U.K., attention is turning to another separatist movement. Emboldened by the peaceful Scottish referendum, Catalans are planning a vote in November.

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Venetians celebrate during the Festa del Redentore in Venice. The festival began in 1576 when the Republic's Senate voted to build a church on the Giudecca Island to Christ the Redeemer to thank God for the city's deliverance from the Plague.

Ebola Battlers Can Learn From Venice's Response To Black Death

7:03am September 20, 2014

by Christopher Shea

The city fathers didn't understand the plague they faced in the Middle Ages. Yet they improvised brilliantly. A new paper explains how their mindset is a model for how to face an unknown threat.