Snowden Case Illustrates Decline In U.S.-Russia Relations
Russia has become a relations nightmare for the United States, and its offer of temporary asylum to the NSA leaker and fugitive is only the tip of the iceberg.
Europe
Spanish Prime Minister Gets Grilled Over Bribery Claims
Spain's prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, faced a grilling in parliament Thursday over allegations that he accepted bribes for years. His party's former treasurer — now behind bars — says he personally handed the prime minister envelopes stuffed with cash. Rajoy denies it, saying his party leaders did accept payments, but that they were legal — for bonuses and reimbursement of expenses. Opposition leaders are still calling on Rajoy to resign, and many Spaniards are angry.
Cyclists Take Nighttime Ride Through Moscow's History
Moscow is steeped in history and clogged with traffic. To appreciate the former and escape the latter, an overnight bicycle tour takes place every year. Thousands gather for the event, taking off at midnight and tuning into FM radio to hear historians and architects talk about sites along the route.
Catch Of The Day, Grilled The Turkish Way
The fishermen are out in all weather in Turkey's Bosphorus Strait. So there's no question that the fish is fresh, as area chefs carry on the tradition of the ancient Greeks, Romans and Ottomans in putting fish to the fire.
Anti-Gay Riot In Tblisi Tests Balance Between Church, State
Priests of the powerful Georgian Orthodox Church led a recent attack on a group of people protesting against homophobia in Tblisi, Georgia. The incident in May raises questions about human rights and the balance of power between church and state in the religiously conservative former Soviet republic.
Church Invested In Pay Day Loan Companies It Admonished
The archbishop of Canterbury says he is embarrassed by revelations that the Church of England indirectly invested in a payday loan firm that he had pledged to put out of business.
Citing Dignity, Greek Workers Take Over Factory
The factory in northern Greece once produced glue for ceramic tiles. But when the country's economy collapsed and workers lost their jobs, they took it over to make environmentally friendly laundry products. Workers do everything from accounting to driving. Their effort is a hit with left-wing groups, but it's not showing up in workers' paychecks.
Insulting The French President Is No Longer Always A Crime
On Thursday, the French parliament got rid of an old law from the 1880s that made insulting the president in public an automatic criminal offense. That's good news for former President Nicolas Sarkozy. He apparently called his successor, President Francois Hollande, a "ridiculous little fat man who dyes his hair."
In Germany, A Car Pool That Actually Involves Water
A group of men in Germany tried to beat the summer heat by converting an open-top BMW into a pool — complete with tiki decorations and still drivable. The fun dried up when they passed a motorcycle cop. They pulled over, abandoned the vehicle and jumped into a nearby river. The investigation is still ongoing, but the police did say this car pool probably didn't have a road permit.
Royals Reveal New Baby's Name
Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge announced the name in a statement on Wednesday.