Europe

World News

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.

World News

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.

World News

For Russia's President, A Year Of Costly Triumphs

4:26pm December 26, 2014

by Corey Flintoff

Vladimir Putin's popularity soared after the Winter Olympics and the annexation of Crimea. But his year is ending on a bitter note, with Russia in a deep recession and isolated internationally.

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Marine Le Pen (center), leader of France's far-right National Front party, has visited Russia on several occasions, and a Russian bank recently lent her party $11 million.

World News

Europe's Far Right And Putin Get Cozy, With Benefits For Both

11:28am December 26, 2014

by Eleanor Beardsley

Despite tensions between Russia and the West, Moscow is forging links with far-right, anti-EU parties in Europe. They're attracted to the traditional social values of Vladimir Putin's Russia.

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Religion

Irish Court OKs Turning Off Life Support For Brain-Dead Pregnant Woman

8:13am December 26, 2014

by Krishnadev Calamur

Doctors told the High Court the 18-week fetus' prospects of survival were low. There have been two similar cases in Ireland since 2001; both fetuses died in the womb. The decision won't be appealed.

World News

Turkish President's Aggressive Behavior In 2014 Gets More Notice

7:52am December 26, 2014

by Peter Kenyon

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan used 2014 to assert new powers but found no clear path for handling the militant threat next door in Syrian and Iraq.

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The stage version of the Hollywood classic An American in Paris combines British, French and American artistic traditions and stars Leanne Cope and Robert Fairchild in the roles made famous by Leslie Caron and Gene Kelly.

The French Go Crazy For 'An American In Paris'

3:49pm December 25, 2014

by Eleanor Beardsley

The first-ever stage production of the 1951 Hollywood film starring Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron, with a Gershwin score, is getting rave reviews during its premiere in the city that inspired it.

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Pope Francis: 'Many Tears This Christmas'

8:46am December 25, 2014

by Scott Neuman

In his annual Christmas Day blessing, the pontiff condemned killing in Iraq, Syria and Pakistan and the "brutal persecution" of religious and ethnic minorities.