All Europe
Book lovers fill gap left by tainted prize, but will Nobel be back in 2019?The New Academy鈥檚 recognition of Maryse Cond茅 has covered for the lack of a Nobel Prize in Literature in 2018. But the Nobel Committee is still recovering from the issues that waylaid this year鈥檚 award.
Trump Tower Moscow: doomed by cultural divides?Much is being made about the legality over then-candidate Donald Trump's attempts to put a Trump Tower in Moscow in 2016. But just how close was he to breaking into Moscow's real estate market?
First LookIn France, mass demonstrations are part of the cultural fabricThough French President Emmanuel Macron has backpedaled on a controversial fuel tax, protests are expected to continue in France over perceived inequality at large. Historically, direct action has been a consistent part of French political culture.聽
First LookIn a first step toward peace, Yemen factions meet in SwedenLeaders from both sides in the Yemen conflict 鈥� the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels and the US-sponsored internationally recognized government 鈥� will come together Dec. 6 in Sweden to find solutions toward ending a catastrophic three-year war.聽
First LookBelgian Africa Museum to take a more nuanced look at colonial pastAfter more than 10 years of renovation, the Africa Museum in Belgium will reopen Dec. 8 with a new perspective on Belgium's influence in Congo. The museum, built by colonialist King Leopold II, will now address Belgian abuses in Africa along with the development sponsored by the European nation.聽
Black Pete no more? Tide turning against Dutch Santa's blackfaced helper.The controversy over Black Pete, Santa Claus's聽helper long portrayed in blackface, seems to be as much a tradition in the Netherlands as the holidays themselves. But the debate may have reached a tipping point.
The ExplainerWill British politicians OK a Brexit bill that few are happy with?With MPs pulling in different directions, the only guarantee is that Britain鈥檚 relationships with the rest of the EU will be different regardless of Parliament鈥檚 vote Dec. 11.
First LookAs 'yellow vest' protests ramp up, Macron suspends fuel-tax increasesIn response to a wave of sometimes violent protests in France, President Emmanuel Macron has suspended planned fuel tax increases for at least six months. The move has done little to placate protesters, who see Mr. Macron as representing big business and the urban "elite."聽
First LookIn third week of protests, 'yellow vests' demand economic change from MacronNationwide protests over the weekend in France turned violent as popular anger against fuel increases metastasized into a larger social movement against declining living standards for the country's middle and working classes.聽
As odds of Corbyn government grow, British Jews eye anti-Semitism in LabourAs a no-deal Brexit looks increasingly possible, so too does the swap of Theresa May鈥檚 Conservative government for a Labour one led by Jeremy Corbyn. That possibility worries 鈥� and may hinge on 鈥� Britain鈥檚 Jews.
Russia-Ukraine crisis turns on Kiev politics, irreconcilable views of CrimeaKiev and the West have been quick to cast blame for last weekend鈥檚 naval incident at the Kerch Strait on Russia. But a major cause may be Ukraine鈥檚 own internal politics and unstable democracy.
Art lessons: Why France is giving countries back their cultural treasures鈥淚t belongs in a museum,鈥� as Indiana Jones once said of an artifact. But which museum? From Easter Island to Greece, countries are asking for their cultural treasures back 鈥� and, in a sign the tide may be shifting, a leader of a colonial power has said yes.
Behind Ukraine-Russia naval tensions, a more brutal economic warTrade ties with western Europe haven't matched Ukraine's hopes. That gives Russia extra leverage over a neighbor with whom historic bonds run deep, even amid the current situation off the shores of Crimea.
First LookEU approves May's Brexit deal as its fate heads to WestminsterEuropean leaders met on Sunday to approve UK Prime Minister May's Brexit deal after a year and a half of negotiations. It will face stiff opposition in the British Parliament from the Labor Party, Scottish nationalists, and conservative Torries.聽
First LookRussia attacks Ukrainian navy in Black Sea 鈥� Kiev to vote on martial lawThree Ukrainian naval ships were attacked by Russia near Russian-annexed Crimea on Sunday, escalating tensions between the two countries. Ukrainian President Petro聽Poroshenko has called for parliament to enact martial law ahead of March elections.聽
In nationalism and patriotism, a battle over words and ideasNationalism shapes the politics of both Europe and the United States, but their historical experiences with it differ. In Europe, the distinction between 鈥渘ationalism鈥� and 鈥減atriotism鈥� defines the continent鈥檚 past and, perhaps, its future.
Think again? Calls mount for British to vote again on Brexit.In a democracy, when have the people really decided? Disappointment with the British government's negotiated terms for withdrawal from the European Union is fueling a campaign for a second Brexit referendum.
First LookNew fears of Russia politicizing Interpol and targeting dissidentsRussian prosecutors this week laid criminal charges against British financier Bill Browder, a Kremlin critic and key backer of sanctions against Russian officials. The move comes as Russia bids for Interpol's presidency.聽
Why Brexit compromise hasn鈥檛 defused political tensions in BritainReactions to Theresa May鈥檚 deal on Brexit, which sought to balance national sovereignty and economic interdependence, raise the question of whether that鈥檚 even possible in today鈥檚 Britain.
In Sweden, conscription and a leaflet on how to prepare for war 鈥� just in caseSince its intervention in Crimea and Ukraine, Russia has been a growing concern for its neighbors in the Baltics and Scandinavia. But is it moving Sweden to truly step away from a longtime pacifist, neutral stance?