All Europe
- Kremlin locks down Sochi, but neighborhood still looks dangerousThough the Winter Olympics site is heavily fortified, terrorist threats 鈥 and deadly attacks 鈥 plague the nearby northern Caucasus region.
- German footballer's coming-out shows challenges of being gay in soccerEnglish and German locker rooms may be more welcoming of gay players like Thomas Hitzlsperger than their counterparts in US sports, but there is still far to go, say experts.
- BBC belatedly grasps third rail of immigration. What took it so long?British broadcaster tackles divisive topic of immigration in a documentary that opens door to previously sidelined voices.
- Anti-Semitic or not, 'quenelle' gesture shows bigger issues in FrancePresident Hollande today called for cities to cancel shows by comedian Dieudonn茅, who popularized the quenelle gesture that many say is anti-Semitic.
- Charges against Spanish princess mar monarchy in court of public opinionCorruption charges against King Juan Carlos's daughter look likely to further damage an institution already increasingly unpopular with the Spanish public.
- Will Russia's 'ring of steel' keep Sochi safe?Putin has spent $2 billion to keep the Winter Games safe from terrorist attacks like those in Volgograd last month. But even if Sochi is safe, Russia may not be.
- Why Angela Merkel tests herself on the ski slopesThe German chancellor, who was injured while skiing, had trouble even walking up stairs as a child. The fact she was skiing at all illustrates her effort to overcome such challenges.
- Suicide bombs in Volgograd stoke worries of a terror campaignA second suicide bomb in as many days in the Russian city of Volgograd stirs fears of a stepped-up terrorism campaign targeting the Sochi Olympics, now a month away.
- Berlin squeezes Airbnb on short-term apartment rentalsTourists who use the peer-to-peer apartment service and others like it will find their Berlin options limited on Jan. 1, when the city implements a new law that it hopes will reduce residential apartment rents.
- Suicide bomber strikes Russia. Another 'black widow?'A suicide bomber killed at least 15 people in the Russian city of Volgograd. Early reports say the attacker was a woman 鈥 perhaps a 'black widow' from Dagestan.
- Pussy Riot to Putin: Pardons won't save youThe freed Pussy Riot band members promise to continue challenging authority while turning their attention to reforming Russia's penal system.听
- Churches step in as Britain's recovery bypasses the homelessAlthough Britain is recovering from recession, the homeless population has grown for three straight years. Welfare cuts leave few options.听
- Ukrainian protesters cling to their camps as holidays divert crowdsAs they enters their second month, pro-European protests in Ukraine appear to be losing momentum after financial aid from Russia averted an economic crunch.听
- Greece to Syrian refugees: Don't get too comfortableSyrian refugees are arriving in Greece, the closest access point to western Europe,聽by the thousands. But obstacles to getting there 鈥 and surviving there 鈥 are enormous.
- Ever defiant, freed Pussy Riot members slam Putin's amnestyAfter release today, the first order of business for Russian Pussy Riot band members is to denounce Vladimir Putin and his rule.听
- Why Brittany's 'red caps' are a red alert for France's HollandeClad in caps symbolic of a 17th century anti-tax protest, protesters in normally stoic Brittany have been taking to the streets over President Hollande's pro-tax, anti-cut economic policy.
- How Italy turned mafia food into a hit Christmas giftA popular new present this year is a Christmas gift box full of food produced on government-confiscated mafia land.
- Delivering on election promise, Spain's Rajoy proposes major abortion limitationsUnder a bill expected to pass, Spain will allow abortion only in cases of rape or danger to the mother.
- Khodorkovsky's release: political thaw or pre-Olympic PR stunt?Mikhail Khodorkovsky's unexpected release, on the heels of a large-scale amnesty for Russia's well-known prisoners, may just be image burnishing in preparation for Sochi Olympics. Or not?
- What does the future hold for Russia's Khodorkovsky?President Putin announced yesterday that jailed former oil tycoon聽Mikhail Khodorkovsky聽will soon be pardoned. But he is not likely to unify Russia鈥檚 beleaguered opposition for now.