Europe

Swedish Scientists Sneak Dylan Lyrics Into Published Papers

7:17am September 29, 2014

It began 17 years ago when two of the scientists wrote an article about intestinal gas. They named it: "Nitric Oxide and Inflammation. The answer is "Blowing in the Wind."

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Clubgoers dance at a Stockholm club that forbade its patrons from drinking Friday night.

Sober And Sold-Out: Dance Club In Sweden Cuts Booze For A Night

4:49pm September 28, 2014

by Bill Chappell

Breathalyzers were placed in the doorway of a nightclub in Stockholm this weekend, with an unusual purpose: to ensure no guests had been drinking any booze.

Five industrial wind turbines form part of the Gorona del Viento power plant on the island of El Hierro. By the end of this year, the power plant is set to generate 100 percent of the energy El Hierro needs, making it the world's first energy-independent

Tiny Spanish Island Nears Its Goal: 100 Percent Renewable Energy

3:21pm September 28, 2014

by Lauren Frayer

El Hierro, the most remote of Spain's Canary Islands, used to import thousands of tons of diesel each year. Now a new power plant will let the island run entirely on renewable energy.

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A teacher spreads a plastic sheet to prevent rain from further damaging the shelled top floor of Gymnasium 33, a high school in Donetsk. The school was hit by Ukrainian shelling on Aug. 27. Many schools are unable to accommodate students due to damaged fa

World News

Reporter's Notebook: In Eastern Ukraine, A Bellicose Mood Prevails

10:06am September 28, 2014

by Eleanor Beardsley

On a return trip to eastern Ukraine, NPR's Eleanor Beardsley found a ceasefire that feels shaky and separatists who are full of swagger and determined to press their fight for independence.

Munich's Mayor Dieter Reiter uses a wooden hammer to pound a tap into the first Oktoberfest beer barrel. "It is not most important mayoral job, but it is the most watched," says Christoph Deumling.

World News

Munich Mayor Survives Key Political Test: Tapping The First Keg

1:13am September 28, 2014

by Tom Dreisbach

Every year at Oktoberfest, the mayor of Munich, Germany, faces a public challenge — driving a tap into the ceremonial first beer barrel. Expectations were especially high for new mayor Dieter Reiter.

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President of Catalonia's regional government Artur Mas acknowledges cheers Saturday after signing a law setting a Nov. 9 vote on independence. At left is the president of the Catalan Parliament, Nuria de Gispert.

World News

Catalonia Defies Spain As Leader Signs Decree For Breakaway Vote

12:49pm September 27, 2014

by Bill Chappell

Catalonia's leader has set a November date for a vote on whether the northeast region of Spain should become independent. Spain's central government has said it will block the vote.

This grocery store packet of porcini mushrooms contained a surprise: three species of fungi never before named or described.

Before You Take A Bite Of That Mushroom, Consider This

6:03pm September 26, 2014

by Alison Bruzek

Guess what scientists found lurking inside a common-looking packet of supermarket porcini? Three entirely new species of fungi. That's what happens when you sequence the DNA of your dinner.

British Parliament Approves Airstrikes Against ISIS

5:51pm September 26, 2014

by Ari Shapiro

The British Parliament voted Friday to join U.S.-led airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq. It's an important political marker for the Obama administration's efforts to build a worldwide alliance.

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An engineer oversees the gas distribution system of Hungary's gas pipeline operator FGSZ in Kiskundorozsma, in August. The distributor announced that it would cut off gas supplies to Ukraine.

World News

Hungary Shuts Off Re-Export Of Natural Gas To Ukraine

4:29pm September 26, 2014

by Scott Neuman

Hungary's national gas operator says the "indefinite" cutoff is over domestic supply concerns, but the move comes just days after the CEO of Russia's Gazprom monopoly visited Budapest.

Belgium Likes Underground Beer. No, Literally

3:52pm September 26, 2014

by Alison Bruzek

The historic city of Bruges is getting a 2-mile-long underground beer pipeline. Too bad it's from brewery to factory, not brewery to your door.