Europe

Swedish Commuter Rail Engineers Get Around Dress Code

7:34am June 10, 2013

The drivers were told no more shorts, even though the heat in the cabs can top 95 degrees. They are permitted to wear just long pants or skirts. So many of the male engineers are now wearing skirts.

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World News

Britain Apologizes For Colonial-Era Torture Of Kenyan Rebels

6:36pm June 09, 2013

by Gregory Warner

The historic apology — and the unprecedented settlement — has been years in the making. A Harvard graduate student helped bring about the settlement for the surviving Mau Mau victims of torture and abuse at the hands of the British.

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Diners drinking raki, a traditional Turkish alcoholic drink flavored with anise, at a restaurant in Istanbul.

Not Everyone Cheers Turkey's Move To Tighten Alcohol Rules

4:46am June 07, 2013

by Peter Kenyon

Among the many reasons for ongoing riots in Turkey: A recent law restricting the advertising and sale of alcohol. Secular Turks see the new rules as the latest effort by the ruling AK Party to impose religious values on the population.

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Spain's King Juan Carlos, his daughter Infanta Cristina and her husband, Inaki Urdangarin, are seen together on May 22, 2006. A corruption scandal involving Urdangarin, as well as the royal family's lifestyle is contributing to the public's diminishing re

World News

With Safaris And Yachts, Spanish King Comes Under Fire

8:16pm June 05, 2013

by Lauren Frayer

King Juan Carlos is suffering his lowest ever approval ratings. Some Spaniards roll their eyes at his high-flying lifestyle and now question the future of the monarchy.

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The Spanish city of Santander is using a network of sensors to help improve services and save money. Incidents reported to Santander's command-and-control center, where the city manages data from sensors and smartphone reports made by citizens, are plotte

High-Tech Sensors Help Old Port City Leap Into Smart Future

1:53pm June 04, 2013

by Lauren Frayer

On Spain's Atlantic coast, the city of Santander has installed 12,000 sensors that measure everything from when streetlights need to be dimmed to when trash dumpsters are full — saving millions for cash-strapped public coffers. It's becoming a model for cities worldwide.

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Longest Word In German Has Been Retired

8:10am June 04, 2013

German spelling bees are about to get easier: The longest word in German has been retired. It has 63 letters.

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Mired In Recession, EU Eases Some Austerity Measures

3:39pm June 03, 2013

by John Ydstie

This week, the European Union gave some of its member nations more time to meet deficit-reduction targets — in other words, to ease back on austerity. The programs have crushed growth and sent European unemployment to a record high 12 percent.

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France Celebrates First Same-Sex Marriage, But Not Everyone Is Happy

6:39am June 01, 2013

Weekend Edition Saturday host Scott Simon speaks with French sociologist Michel Wievorka about the wave of popular opposition in France to gay marriage. This past week, for the first time under the new law allowing gay marriage, two men wed in the city of Montpellier.

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Swedish High School Flubs Graduation Requirement

10:47am May 29, 2013

School officials broke the news to seniors that they forgot to offer a religion course that's required for students to graduate. The school admits fault. The principal said to graduate on time, seniors had just a few days to complete all the requirements for the yearlong course.

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A portrait of Italian philosopher, writer and politician Niccolo Machiavelli (Florence, 1469-1527) by Antonio Maria Crespi. Half a millennium after he wrote The Prince, the slim volume continues to play an important role in political thought and evoke str

World News

At 500, Machiavelli's 'Prince' Still Inspires Love And Fear

5:52pm May 28, 2013

by Sylvia Poggioli

Niccolo Machiavelli is synonymous with political deceit, cynicism and ruthlessness. He called his most famous work, The Prince, a handbook for statesmen. An exhibit in Rome celebrates the 500th anniversary of what's still one of the most influential political essays in Western literature.

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