All Europe
TV drama? Putin rips Sochi official on air over Olympic cost overrunsAnalysts say that the Russian president's angry tirade, followed by the official's firing, may be a bit of political theater meant to ease public concerns over the troubled Sochi Games preparations.
Irish beef avoids EU budget chop. Is agricultural subsidy reform on the menu?Agricultural subsidies account for a whopping 40 percent of the EU budget. Ireland, which holds the EU presidency, hopes to push through subsidy reforms next.
ECB nod allows Ireland to shut down toxic bank, easing debt pressuresIreland closed down the bankrupt Anglo Irish Bank in 2011, absorbing its debt and assets into a state-owned bank. Overnight, it voted to shut down that bank as well.
New mission for Knights of Malta: rescue Europe's poorThe chivalric order of the Knights of Malta, which has an annual budget of $800 million, announced the switch of emphasis from Asia and Africa to Europe this week.
Russian bill looks to hide gay identity, affirm democracy of the majorityThe country faces two competing visions of democracy, one that emphasizes majority rule versus another that stresses minority protections.
Does Tory opposition to gay marriage signal a UK 'culture war'?More than 100 Conservative MPs voted against the gay marriage bill backed by Prime Minister David Cameron, but support from Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs carried the vote.
Much ado about Richard III: Is Shakespeare to blame?The notorious king's legend still looms large, as recent headlines about the discovery of his body attest. Experts say that Shakespeare's play is what sets him apart from other royalty.
'Secret ledger' at heart of Spanish corruption scandal given to authoritiesAlthough the ledger implicates Prime Minister Rajoy and other leaders in a payment scheme, Spain's government looks like it will hold on 鈥� at least for a while.
Sochi cha-ching: Putin defends most expensive Olympics everLondon 2012 cost $19 billion. Beijing 2008 clocked in at $40 billion. But Sochi's price may be more than $50 billion, sporting the world's most expensive road, amid allegations of corruption.
Focus A new, different kind of 'troubles' in Northern IrelandThe past two months of rioting around Belfast aren't a return to the clashes of two decades ago. Rather, they are a sign of a new split, this time between unionists themselves along class lines.- FocusFor Northern Irish republicans, life is hard, but life is goodDespite suffering similar 鈥� if not worse 鈥� financial woes, Northern Ireland's Catholics are upbeat about the future, and a world apart from the unionist rioting that has racked Belfast.
Richard III's remains identified, but was he really Shakespeare's villain?Though Richard's final resting place has been subject of long debate among historians, scientists announced today the skeleton found in the English city of Leicester is that of the 15th-century king.
What's in a name? Russian city mulls returning to its Stalinist moniker.Volgograd will temporarily revert to its former name, Stalingrad, in commemoration of its WWII Soviet victory. But some see it as a Trojan horse for glorification of Stalinist times.
Corruption case threatens Spain's ruling party - and its economyOff-the-book payments to high-level members of the Popular Party 鈥� though possibly legal 鈥� could undermine Prime Minister Rajoy's government, both in Spain and among EU creditor nations.
Could France's empty office buildings ease its homeless crisis?The Lacombe family, now living in a new Parisian office, are just a few of nearly 200,000 homeless in France who activists 鈥� and the government 鈥� are trying to house in vacant properties.
Parting blows: Clinton blasts Russia for inaction in SyriaIn her last week as secretary of State, Clinton accused Moscow of being 'unwilling to go forward' in helping to broker a peace deal. The Russian government says she has distorted the picture.聽- A flood of memories: 60 years on, Britain recalls a deadly stormThe Jan. 1953 flood killed several hundred people, but some experts wonder if the country has learned its lesson about disaster prevention.聽
Mali war pulls France's Hollande out of polling slumpHowever, the first Socialist elected to French high office in decades still faces high unemployment and low growth.
Anti-drug pact latest casualty of souring US-Russia relationsRussian experts say the downturn is a result of Putin's determination to do away with international pacts that he sees as demeaning or forcing Russia into a 'junior partner' role.
Spanish economy shows glimmers of hope, but prime minister gets no loveDespite signs that Spain's crippling recession might be easing, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy looks to have no easier a year in 2013 as austerity bites, Catalonia bucks, and corruption lurks.