Europe

Present Thief Nabbed In France

7:40am December 28, 2012

A thief stole brightly wrapped presents, which a French family had left in an unlocked car. But the thief left his cell phone behind. When the family went to the police station to report the theft, the alleged thief was there too, reporting his lost phone.

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French actor Gerard Depardieu speaks outside Paris in March. He recently said he was moving to neighboring Belgium to avoid France's new top tax rate of 75 percent. The news ignited a debate in France over taxes and patriotism.

World News

Gerard Depardieu's Tax Flight Stirs Fierce Debate In France

11:02pm December 27, 2012

by Eleanor Beardsley

The film actor is moving to neighboring Belgium to avoid a new 75 percent tax on the superwealthy. This has touched off a war of words with the prime minister, and the public seems deeply divided.

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The ILVA steel plant in Taranto, Italy, provides some 20,000 badly needed jobs in a country with a weak economy. But it also spews carcinogens. A court has ordered a partial shutdown, which the government has rejected.

World News

A Showdown In Italy Over A Polluting Steel Plant

9:40pm December 27, 2012

by Sylvia Poggioli

The city of Taranto is heavily dependent on a steel plant, the largest in Europe, which provides some 20,000 jobs. A court has ordered a partial shutdown because the factory spews carcinogens into the air, but the government has rejected the court's ruling, saying the economy needs the jobs.

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World News

In Cornwall, Lisa Simpson Rivals Queen Elizabeth

6:41am December 24, 2012

by Philip Reeves

In Britain, every year on Christmas Day, the Queen delivers a speech to her subjects. Recently in Cornwall, which is part of England, a new royal tradition has taken root based on an episode of The Simpsons.

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An employee tidies boxes of medicines displayed in a pharmacy in the city of Caen in western France last month. Beginning in 2013, girls between the ages of 15 and 18 will be able to get birth control free of charge, and without parental notification.

In France, Free Birth Control For Girls At Age 15

3:16pm December 20, 2012

by Eleanor Beardsley

Starting in January, the French government will provide contraceptives for girls ages 15 to 18 — without charge and without parental notification. The measure, which passed parliament without debate, aims to reduce teen pregnancies by increasing access to birth control and education.

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French journalists film the Pic of Bugarach, a mountain in the village that is said to have magical powers.

World News

In A French Village, Protection From The Apocalypse

11:37am December 20, 2012

by Eleanor Beardsley

Friday marks the end of the Mayan calendar — and the end of the world if you believe doomsayers. But a rumor circulating online says the village of Bugarach, population 200, will be spared. That has the village bracing for an influx of believers.

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Dead Russian Parliament Member Voted 31 Times

11:37am December 20, 2012

Vyacheslav Osipov voted on 31 different measures despite being dead at the time. The rules allowed other lawmakers to cast votes for him by proxy. He's off the voting rolls now.

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Credit Rating Upgrade Is Good News For Greece

5:44am December 20, 2012

by Joanna Kakissis

A day after eurozone lenders finally released about $45 billion in loans to Greece, a top credit agency raised its rating on the country by a six points. It's a rare piece of good news for Greece, which still faces Depression-level unemployment and at least another year of recession.

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World News

Russian Scandal Hints At Larger Political Battle

10:33am December 18, 2012

by Corey Flintoff

President Vladimir Putin's decision to sack his defense minister has created widespread speculation about his motives. The defense minister was embroiled in a scandal, but analysts say Putin's decision may point to a larger battle over the future of Russia's military.

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Argh, it's on the tip of my tongue! Contestants in the Names and Faces competition focus at last year's World Memory Championships held in Guangzhou, China. A new field of mental athletes is currently vying for the 2012 championship.

World News

Ready. Set. Memorize!

1:43pm December 16, 2012

by Vicki Barker

There's no place for chronic misplacers of keys at the 21st World Memory Championships under way in London. About 75 competitors from some two dozen countries are vying to see who can memorize the most numbers, faces, playing cards or random words in a set amount of time in this "mnemonic Olympiad."

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