(PARIS) — Crowds of visitors were cleared out of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris after a man put a letter on the altar of the …
Europe
Forget Paris: Stymied by Socialist Policies, the French Start to Quit France
Ernest Hemingway once described Paris in spring as a time when “there were no problems except where to be happiest.” Clearly Hemingway did not foresee the springtime of 2013. For many of Paris’ residents right now — in …
Russian Oligarchs Foot Most of 2014 Sochi Olympics
(SOCHI, Russia) — The mountains of Sochi are now home to Potanin’s slope, Gazprom’s gondola lift and Sberbank’s ski jump. The nicknames used by locals and an army of construction workers leave no doubt about who is paying for the 2014 Winter Games: Russia’s business powerhouses.
Other countries that have hosted the Olympics have …
Turkey: 1 Killed, 24 Injured After Balloon Crashes
(ANKARA, Turkey) — A hot air balloon collided with another balloon mid-air during a sightseeing tour of volcanic rock formations in Turkey and crashed to the ground on Monday, killing two Brazilian tourists and injuring 23 other people on board, officials said.
The accident occurred above central Turkey’s Cappadocia region, when an …
Plane Catches Fire Landing in Moscow; No Injuries
(MOSCOW) — Part of an airliner carrying more than 130 people caught fire as it was landing in Moscow, and passengers evacuated the plane by jumping off one of its wings and shooting down an evacuation slide.
The Emergencies Ministry says none of the passengers and crew members were injured by the fire on the landing gear of the …
French President Signs Gay Marriage Into Law
(PARIS) — French President Francois Hollande has signed a law authorizing gay marriage and adoption by same-sex couples, after months of nationwide protests and wrenching debate.
His signature means the first gay marriages may be celebrated in France within about 10 days. Hollande’s office said he signed the bill Saturday morning, a …
Top Russian Diplomat Explains Reasons for Syrian Arms Sales
In the past two weeks, the U.S. and its allies have done just about everything short of getting down on their collective knees and begging Russia to stop delivering weapons to the Syrian government. President Vladimir Putin has …
Woman Describes Berlusconi’s ‘Bunga Bunga’ Parties
(MILAN) — Silvio Berlusconi‘s private disco featured not only aspiring show girls performing striptease acts as sexy nuns and nurses, but also dressed as President Barack Obama and a prominent Milan prosecutor whom the
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Spain: Deportation Case Casts Light on Push for Catalan Independence
On Thursday, Barcelona police arrested a Moroccan-born man and informed him that he was being deported from the country where he has legally lived and worked for the past 14 years. They say he is a spy. He denies it
Turkey’s Erdogan Visits the U.S.: 4 Problems That Won’t Be Solved
As domestic scandals clouded Washington, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived for a U.S. visit enveloped in his own fog. The Turkish Premier has been one of the most outspoken international statesmen on the need …
As Greece Struggles with Debt Crisis, Its Shipping Tycoons Still Cut a Profit
On December 5 last year, the Ob River, an 288-metre LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) tanker with a capacity of 84,682 deadweight tonnes chartered by Russian energy giant Gazprom, arrived at the Japanese port of Tobata. The ship …
For First Time, the Vatican Enters Prestigious Venice Biennale
The first thing visitors will see when they enter the Vatican Pavilion at the Venice Biennale—an art show dedicated to the modern and cutting edge—will be a nod to the past: a three-paneled triptych on which the 20th-century …
Eurozone Recession Is Now Longest in Currency Bloc
(PARIS) — The eurozone is now in its longest ever recession — a stubborn slump that has surpassed even the calamity that hit the region in the financial crisis of 2008-2009.
The European Union statistics office said Wednesday that nine of the 17 EU countries that use the euro are in recession, with France a notable addition to the …
