Europe

British and German soldiers fraternizing at Ploegsteert, Belgium, on Christmas Day 1914. World War I was raging at the time, but front-line troops initiated the truce, which they documented in photos and letters. Commanders on both sides were furious when

World News

A Century Ago, When The Guns Fell Silent On Christmas

7:00am December 25, 2014

by Ari Shapiro

World War I had just begun and the battles were blazing in the winter of 1914. But on Christmas Eve, something strange and unexpected happened. The soldiers in the trenches decided to call a truce.

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Pope Francis waves to the faithful as he arrives in St. Peter's Square for his weekly audience, on Dec. 17, in Vatican City. Even among non-Catholics, the pope's popularity is high.

Pope Francis And His Gift For Blending The Spiritual And The Political

7:00am December 25, 2014

by Sylvia Poggioli

Despite detractors within the church, Pope Francis' emphasis on humility and mercy has won him strong support worldwide. He has addressed thorny issues such as Vatican finances and clerical sex abuse.

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Romania's Rush To Judge Ceausescu Haunts Retired General

7:00am December 25, 2014

by Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson

Andrei Kemenici, who was a colonel then, says he still thinks about the 4 days he held Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife in custody before their execution 25 years ago on Christmas Day.

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Lower Oil Prices Drain Value Of Russians' Money

8:02am December 24, 2014

by Corey Flintoff

In Russia, they are not celebrating lower oil prices. The price of oil could mean the difference between prosperity and recession. The ruble has lost about 45 percent of its value this year.

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Driving Rampages On Pedestrians In France Rattle Nerves

6:39pm December 23, 2014

by Eleanor Beardsley

Several people have been injured over the last two days by motorists driving their cars into crowds. The government says the acts were not coordinated and the men aren't terrorists.

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At the We Care food bank in Southeast London, customers pay 1 pound sterling, or about $1.60, for 10 items. The token payment is meant to ease customers' discomfort about having to use the food bank's services.

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Record Number Of Britons Are Using Food Banks

6:26pm December 23, 2014

by Ari Shapiro

Hunger has become one of the biggest issues in British society. A parliamentary report says one problem is welfare benefits, which have been cut under the conservative government.

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World News

Despite Russia's Woes, Putin Shows No Signs Of Bending On Ukraine

6:26pm December 23, 2014

The ruble has lost about a third of its value against the dollar. NPR's Robert Siegel speaks with Wall Street Journal Moscow Chief Greg White about Russia's deep recession.

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Irish Court Weighs Ending Life Support For Brain-Dead Pregnant Woman

4:05pm December 23, 2014

by Krishnadev Calamur

Both the woman's parents and her partner want life support removed. The case has reignited the debate over abortion in the predominantly Roman Catholic country, where the procedure is banned.

We Go Underground To Tour London's Crossrail Project

7:28am December 23, 2014

by Christopher Werth

Crossrail touts itself as the biggest infrastructure project in Europe. It's made up of 10 new train stations and 26 miles of tunnels below London. It's due to open in 2018.

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The Woman Who Mistook A Hat For A Parrot

7:28am December 23, 2014

A woman in Scotland was driving home from shopping when she saw a bird on the road: green body, red head. It wasn't a parrot. It was a Christmas hat.

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