Europe

Spanish Prime Minister Gets Grilled Over Bribery Claims

by Lauren Frayer

Spain's prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, faced a grilling in parliament Thursday over allegations that he accepted bribes for years. His party's former treasurer — now behind bars — says he personally handed the prime minister envelopes stuffed with cash. Rajoy denies it, saying his party leaders did accept payments, but that they were legal — for bonuses and reimbursement of expenses. Opposition leaders are still calling on Rajoy to resign, and many Spaniards are angry.
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Makis Anagnostou, a worker and union leader, bottles lavender-scented fabric softener at VIO.ME, a former tile materials factory that went bust and has been revived by its staff as a collective making environmentally-friendly detergent.

Citing Dignity, Greek Workers Take Over Factory

by Joanna Kakissis

The factory in northern Greece once produced glue for ceramic tiles. But when the country's economy collapsed and workers lost their jobs, they took it over to make environmentally friendly laundry products. Workers do everything from accounting to driving. Their effort is a hit with left-wing groups, but it's not showing up in workers' paychecks.
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In Germany, A Car Pool That Actually Involves Water

A group of men in Germany tried to beat the summer heat by converting an open-top BMW into a pool — complete with tiki decorations and still drivable. The fun dried up when they passed a motorcycle cop. They pulled over, abandoned the vehicle and jumped into a nearby river. The investigation is still ongoing, but the police did say this car pool probably didn't have a road permit.
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