Europe

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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.

World News

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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Carmen Martinez Ayuso, 85, prays during her eviction from her home in Madrid on Nov. 21. A professional Spanish soccer team, Rayo Vallecano, has come to her aid, promising to pay her housing costs for the rest of her life.

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The 85-Year-Old Widow Who's The Symbol Of Spain's Economic Woes

7:29pm December 22, 2014

by Lauren Frayer

Carmen Martinez Ayuso was evicted from her apartment because her son took out a loan he couldn't repay. Now she's been the recipient of unexpected kindness this holiday season.

Megan Walhood loves the unique toasty potato flavor of lefse. "There's something so comforting about soft, starchy things," she says.

World News

For Norwegian-Americans, Christmas Cheer Is Wrapped Up In Lefse

2:24pm December 22, 2014

by Deena Prichep

For many Norwegian-American families, the most anticipated Christmas treat isn't chocolate or sugar-dusted cookies. It's a simple potato-based pancake, spread with butter and sugar or jam.

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Pope Francis delivers his message during a meeting with cardinals and bishops of the Curia at the Vatican on Monday. The pope said the Curia suffered from

Pope Francis, At Christmas Gathering, Blasts Vatican's Bureaucrats

1:14pm December 22, 2014

by Krishnadev Calamur

He accused the Curia, which oversees the world's 1.2 billion Catholics, of "spiritual Alzheimer's" and careerism. Francis has made reforming the Vatican a major part of his agenda.

World News

Stars Shine Bright In Ireland's Dark-Sky Reserve

10:09am December 22, 2014

by Ari Shapiro

The International Dark-Sky Association has named only 3 gold-tier reserves, and only 1 in the Northern Hemisphere. That title belongs to Kerry International Dark Sky Reserve in southwestern Ireland.

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