Europe

Wife's Phone Call Interupts Soccer News Conference

8:13am January 23, 2013

A Scottish sports reporter recorded a soccer team press conference using his phone. Nice idea, but inevitably the reporter's phone rang. The soccer team manager picked it up. It was the reporter's wife calling.

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A wave of racist tweets prompted a Jewish student organization to file a lawsuit asking the American company Twitter to reveal the identities of users sending anti-Semitic tweets. Twitter says data on users is collected and stocked in California, where Fr

World News

French Twitter Lawsuit Pits Free Speech Against Hate Speech

8:48pm January 22, 2013

by Eleanor Beardsley

A French judge will decide this week if Twitter must hand over the identities of users sending anti-Semitic tweets. The case, brought against Twitter by a Jewish student group, is a clash of legal cultures: U.S. free speech guarantees vs. European laws banning hate speech.

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World News

Thousands In France Protest Gay Marriage

3:27pm January 14, 2013

by Eleanor Beardsley

Opponents of the French government's plans to legalize same-sex marriage and adoption took to the streets of Paris Sunday. With an estimated 350,000 marchers, the demonstration was considered one of the largest in years. The French government took note, but says it will go ahead with its plans for the law anyway.

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The stones of York Minster in northern England are decaying. Olive oil may be just the dressing the cathedral needs to preserve its Gothic architecture.

World News

A Dash Of Olive Oil May Preserve British Cathedral

6:24am January 09, 2013

by Philip Reeves

One of the world's most basic cooking ingredients could be the key to protecting some of Europe's most stunning buildings. The limestone used in England's 800-year-old York Minster is particularly vulnerable to pollution. The oleic acid in olive oil, British researchers say, may provide the protective coating needed to prevent further decay.

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Former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (left) has returned to Italy's political scene in advance of next month's election. Also in the race is the current Prime Minister Mario Monti (right). They are shown here in November 2011 as Monti took over for Ber

World News

Berlusconi Plots His Comeback: 'You Italians Need Me'

6:19pm January 07, 2013

by Sylvia Poggioli

Polls for next month's election show leftist parties with a comfortable lead. But attention has focused on the attempted comeback of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and the man who took over when he was ousted, Mario Monti.

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World News

Competitive Advantage Could Force French Labor Changes

7:56am January 07, 2013

by Eleanor Beardsley

French President Francois Hollande has vowed to improve his country's competitiveness. But to better compete, France has to overhaul its labor market, and some hard-earned workers' rights and privileges could be lost.

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Berlin's Prenzlauer Berg neighborhood, like many others across the city, is experiencing a real estate boom. Housing prices have risen by as much as 20 percent in the past year in some German cities.

Germany's Housing Market Is Hot. Is It Overheating?

9:59am January 05, 2013

by Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson

Buyers are snapping up property in Germany, leaving some analysts worried that it's a bubble in the making. But others say the conservative approach to home ownership, including a tradition of large down payments, will protect the market from a U.S.-style crash.

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Foreign buyers are pushing the prices of prime London real estate through the roof. Neighborhoods such as West London, Kensington and Chelsea are particularly popular.

London Real Estate, A Magnet For Mega-Rich From Around The Globe

9:59am January 05, 2013

by Vicki Barker

In most of Britain, property prices are slumping amid a weak economy. But mega-rich foreigners see London's upscale neighborhoods as a safe place to invest, and they are snapping up properties and pushing up prices even though many don't plan to use these homes as a primary residence.

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A Greek Orthodox priest is blocked by riot police as he takes part in a protest outside an Athens theater in October. The play, Corpus Christi, portrays Jesus and his apostles as gay men living in modern-day Texas. The director and the cast have been char

World News

Old Greek Blasphemy Laws Stir Up Modern Drama

10:16pm January 04, 2013

by Joanna Kakissis

The laws date to the 1850s, but have rarely been invoked. However, two recent cases have put the law in the spotlight, and critics say the measure is being abused.

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Europe Fails To Stimulate Growth In 2012

12:52pm December 31, 2012

by Jim Zarroli

Europe spent much of this year trying to hold its common currency pact together. Greece, Spain, Italy and other countries flirted with disaster as interest rates spiked, forcing the debtor nations to accept austerity programs. The turmoil was bad enough to push much of the eurozone into recession.

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