Europe

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Greece To Hold Elections After Parliament Fails To Elect A President

9:11am December 29, 2014

by Joanna Kakissis

The government's candidate former European Commissioner Stavros Dimas failed to win over the minimum of at least 180 of 300 parliamentary lawmakers. Elections will likely be held in February.

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The car ferry Norman Atlantic burns in waters off Greece on Sunday.

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1 Dead, Hundreds Evacuated From Burning Ferry In Adriatic Sea

10:38pm December 28, 2014

by Scott Neuman

The Norman Atlantic, with about 500 passengers and crew aboard, was en route from the Greek port of Patras to Ancona, Italy.

In this image taken from a video provided by Adnkronos International, Ali Agca stands in front of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, on Saturday. Agca, who tried to assassinate Pope John Paul II in 1981, laid flowers at the late pontiff's tomb.

Pope John Paul II's Would-Be Assassin Lays Roses At His Tomb

3:54pm December 28, 2014

by Scott Neuman

In 1981, Mehmet Ali Ağca shot the pontiff twice at close range as the pope's open motorcade passed through St. Peter's Square. He was jailed for three decades before his release in 2010.

Drivers park to put on snow chains in the middle of a massive traffic jam in the Savoie region of France. Thousands of motorists are stranded for a second day.

World News

Thousands Of Motorists Stranded By Snow In French Alps

2:44pm December 28, 2014

by Scott Neuman

People have been unable to move for two days due to heavy snow and ice on the road to and from major ski resorts in the Savoie region.

Thalidomide Victims In Spain Still Waiting For Compensation

11:07am December 28, 2014

by Lauren Frayer

Five decades on, the battle for justice over birth defects caused by the drug thalidomide continues in only one European country. Victims in Spain are the only ones still left without compensation.

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How To Pitch A Hamburger In A War Zone

11:07am December 28, 2014

by Gregory Warner

Even as Ukraine remains in a military and financial crisis after the upheavals of 2014, Ukrainian business owners are trying to drum up interest from Western investors.

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German Protesters Express Their 'Defensive Nationalism'

11:07am December 28, 2014

More than 17,000 protesters have marched in Dresden protesting what they call the "Islamification of Europe." NPR's Linda Wertheimer talks to Josef Joffe, editor of the German weekly Die Zeit.

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A negative image of Kks3, made using the Advanced Camera for Surveys on the Hubble Space Telescope. The core of the galaxy is the right hand dark object at the top center of the image.

Dwarf Galaxy, Long Overlooked, Discovered In Our 'Hood

2:48pm December 27, 2014

by Scott Neuman

Tiny Kks3, 7 million light years distant, is made up mostly of star stuff that's just a billion or so years younger than the Big Bang.

Klaus Iohannis was an underdog who was the surprise winner of Romania's presidential runoff election last month. He was sworn into office on Dec. 21 with a promise to crackdown on corruption, a chronic problem in Romania.

World News

Long Plagued By Corruption, Romania Seeks To Make A Fresh Start

11:10am December 27, 2014

by Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson

The country has suffered from graft and poverty since the fall of communism 25 years ago. Can a new president and an anti-corruption crusader make a difference?

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Turkish demonstrators hold a banner with a photo of Mehmet Emin Altunses, who was released from jail Friday, two days after his arrest. The 16-year-old was accused of "insulting" President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

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Turkey Frees Teenager Who 'Insulted' The President

1:44am December 27, 2014

by Martha Ann Overland

The most recent crackdown on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's critics is proof for many that Turkey is veering toward authoritarianism.