Europe

World News

'Time Is Ripe' For U.S. To Support Syrian Opposition

9:44am February 26, 2013

by Michele Kelemen

As John Kerry undertakes his first foreign trip as Secretary of State, the challenges before him are great — especially the war in Syria. He holds a town hall meeting Tuesday in Berlin, which will give us a look at his style and public-diplomacy skills — areas where his predecessor Hillary Clinton excelled.

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Irish Women Emerge From Shadows Of 'National Shame'

12:45pm February 25, 2013

by NPR Staff

Thousands of women were taken into Magdalene Laundries, run by the Catholic Church, and forced to work without pay. The practice went on for decades after Ireland's independence, with the last one closing in 1996. For the first time, the state has acknowledged and apologized for its role in facilitating the practice.

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Corruption Reigns In Spain; King's Son-In-Law Accused Of Embezzling

10:26am February 22, 2013

by Lauren Frayer

Spain has had more than its share of corruption stories, and they have the added sting of coming at a time of economic crisis. The king's son-in-law, accused of stealing millions in public funds, faces a judge this weekend.

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Comedian-turned-politician Beppe Grillo addresses supporters at a rally on Feb. 12 in Bergamo, Italy. Many pollsters say his populist Five Star Movement could come in third in this weekend's election.

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'The Real Jiminy Cricket': Unlikely Candidate Upends Italian Elections

8:24am February 22, 2013

by Sylvia Poggioli

Comedian-turned-politician Beppe Grillo's populist Five Star Movement is soaring in the polls ahead of elections this weekend. His rallies have attracted tens of thousands of Italians tired of a poor economy, widespread corruption and political patronage. But there are concerns that no one knows what Grillo's movement stands for.

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Italy Edges Out Election Pollsters

9:41am February 20, 2013

Pollsters still do surveys for private clients, but are banned from publishing any results. Some websites have found coded ways to report survey results. A gambling site reports polls disguised as fake horse racing results, with horses named after political parties.

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Museum-Goers Strip Down To View Nude Exhibit

9:41am February 20, 2013

An exhibit in a Vienna Museum titled "Nude Men" from 1800 to the present drew a group of 60 men who stripped down to view it. In a special after-hours tour, they viewed the exhibition in nothing but socks and shoes. The tour guide was dressed.

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People read newspaper headlines in Athens. In 2009, there were 39 national dailies, 23 national Sunday papers, 14 national weekly papers and dozens of TV and radio stations for a population of 11 million.

Greece's Economic Crisis Reveals Fault Lines In The Media

7:05pm February 18, 2013

by Sylvia Poggioli

A system of favors among Greek media outlets, politicians and banks helped produce one of the most inflated media sectors in Europe. But the media have been hit hard by the country's massive austerity drive, and have taken a huge loss in terms of credibility.

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Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes, accused of masterminding a vast doping network, has refused to name his clients. The case stems from a 2006 raid in which Spanish police seized some 200 bags of blood, in the "Operation Puerto" investigation.

Doping Trial May Reach Far Beyond Spain, And Cycling

6:42am February 18, 2013

by Lauren Frayer

A famous doctor is on trial in Spain, accused of masterminding one of the world's largest sports doping rings. Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes' client list is believed to include at least one former teammate of disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong. The doctor says he treated athletes from other sports, as well.

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A protest banner in Valencia, Spain, reflects the view that the city's economic woes are a result of political corruption.

World News

Activists Offer Protest Tour Of Spain's Modern Ruins

10:05am February 16, 2013

by Lauren Frayer

A new form of alternative tourism is cropping up across Europe, with people eager to see the shattered remains of the continent's boom-and-bust economy. In Valencia, Spain, those tours take tourists past the city's many deserted construction projects.

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Pope Benedict XVI, who announced his resignation Monday, was an ardent defender of Catholic tradition. For a quarter-century before he become the pontiff in 2005, he served as the chief enforcer of Catholic orthodoxy.

Pope Benedict XVI: A Champion Of Catholic Tradition

1:52pm February 11, 2013

by Sylvia Poggioli

Pope Benedict XVI, who announced his resignation Monday at age 85, was a deeply conservative pontiff who sought to strengthen the church's core beliefs. But he also faced a number of difficult issues in a rapidly changing world.

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