A year after Toulouse jihadi Mohammed Merah began a killing campaign that claimed seven lives, France marks the death of his first victim amid new indications that domestic intelligence services missed clear signs of the threat he posed
Europe
Italy’s Beppe Grillo: Meet the Rogue Comedian Turned Kingmaker
Before sitting down to an interview with TIME, Beppe Grillo, the comedian who has upended Italian politics, stops to give his wife a goodbye kiss. “Ciao,” she tells him. “For goodness sake. Don’t create too much chaos.” …
Exclusive Interview: Did this Bolshoi Ballerina Inspire an Acid Attack?
On the evening of Feb. 6, the Russian ballerina Anzhelina Vorontsova had to take another trip abroad — this time to Italy — for some performances she wished she had been able to decline. Winsome as a porcelain doll and …
The Magnitsky Trial: Russia Places a Dead Man in the Dock
At Moscow’s Tverskoy District Court on Monday morning, there was a great deal of confusion among the journalists about what exactly was meant to happen in Courtroom No. 17. On the roster, a preliminary hearing was slated for the …
French Officials Warn ‘Success’ in Mali Won’t End Islamist Threat
Despite gains against Islamist militias in Mali, France believes victory in the Sahel will require political reform across Africa to eliminate the threat for good
Why Two Mass Shootings Will Not Change Swiss Gun Culture
The country is concerned that certain people shouldn’t get gun permits but it is not about to curtail its very liberal laws about the right to bear arms
Gin & Tonic: Spain’s Obsession, Despite the Recession
The first time I drank a gin and tonic, a real gin and tonic, it was three in the morning in an old converted castle in the tiny town of La Alberca, outside Salamanca, Spain, not more than 40 miles from the Portuguese border. It …
Pope Benedict XVI’s Legacy: Most Europeans Say He Was ‘Not Influential’ in New Poll
As Pope Benedict XVI steps down today as head of the Roman Catholic Church, a new survey shows that most people across Europe feel that the outgoing pontiff has made little difference to their lives.
Portuguese Prime Minister’s Personal Tax Number Leaked by Anti-Austerity Group
Thousands of fake bills bearing Pedro Passos Coelho’s personal tax number are pouring into revenue offices — and could prompt an investigation of the Prime Minister’s finances.
Stop the Presses: (Another) Strauss-Kahn Sex Book Challenged in Court
Ex-IMF chief and former French Presidential hopeful Dominique Strauss-Kahn has won court concessions against a kiss-and-tell book by a former mistress, but the lurid account appears destined for the best-seller list
Putin’s Ph.D.: Can a Plagiarism Probe Upend Russian Politics?
It’s an open secret in Russia today that many politicians and businessmen pad their resumes with fake diplomas, either plagiarizing their dissertations or paying someone to do it for roughly the cost of a midsize sedan. Since …
Photos: Pope Benedict XVI’s Final General Audience
Pope Benedict XVI’s last general audience in St. Peter’s Square, at the Vatican, on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013 drew an estimated crowd of tens of thousands of people.
Is Germany’s Muzzled Military Moving into a New Era?
On March 1, the German Parliament will debate sending 80 soldiers to Mali to provide medical care and help French soldiers train Malian government troops to clear mines and build bridges. That may not seem like a big task for the …