British code-breaker Alan Turing has been called a genius, a war hero and one of the greatest minds of the 20th century. But he was gay, and in 1952 was convicted of homosexuality.
Europe
Freed Member of Pussy Riot Calls for Boycott of Russia’s Winter Olympics
The singer railed against Russia’s prison system, calling it a “totalitarian machine”
Mikhail Kalashnikov, Soviet Inventor of the AK-47, Dies at 94
Mikhail Kalashnikov, the Soviet general who designed the ubiquitous automatic weapon that now bears his name, died on Dec. 23 at the age of 94. Iterations of the gun he invented now exist in the tens of millions, making it the …
Thanks, Putin, But No Thanks: Few Are Grateful for Russia’s Pre-Olympic Amnesty
Russian President Vladimir Putin grabbed international headlines last week with a pre-Christmas amnesty that included the release of a number of prominent dissidents. Those freed aren’t exactly glowing with praise for Putin, though
Two Pussy Riot Members Released From Prison During Amnesty
Maria Alyokhina and and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova pardoned three months before their scheduled release
Russian Oligarch Khodorkovsky Reunited With Family in Germany
The former oil tycoon is expected to speak at a news conference Sunday
Pope Francis Urges Vatican to Stop Gossiping, Exercise Professionalism
The Holy See advocates mercy over moralism
Putin’s Latest Moves Tip the Balance of Power Toward Russia
Moscow’s diplomatic victory in Ukraine was a thumb in Brussels’s eye. It’s all part of the Kremlin’s emboldened foreign policy.
Meet Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Russia’s Freed Oligarch and Putin Foe
The Russian oil tycoon once presented a serious challenge to President Vladimir Putin, who threw him in jail for ten years
Swiss Banks Tell American Expats to Empty Their Accounts
“My U.S. passport has been such a liability,” complains one Zurich resident, as Swiss banks crack down on U.S.-owned accounts following new, strict American legislation coming into effect next year
Putin Foe Released From Prison, Goes to Germany
After a decade in prison, the former oil tycoon was abruptly pardoned
Ceiling Collapse at London’s Apollo Theatre Injures Dozens
The West End theater, which originally opened in 1901, was packed for an evening performance
Turkey’s House of Cards Moment: Arrests and Scandal Signal a Crisis for Erdogan
An astonishing series of arrests this week hint at a power struggle between Turkey’s Prime Minister and the Gulenists, an influential Islamist movement that was once his ally — but which now could provoke a political meltdown in Ankara