Europe

Papandreou Prepares His Exit

Staff / Truthdig Nov 7, 2011 After his ill-conceived eleventh-hour referendum idea fell through last week, the thread from which Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou was dangling effectively snapped By Sunday, it was apparent that Papandreou was ready to accept defeat (more). Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Eurozone Gets a Boost, Finally

Staff / Truthdig Oct 27, 2011 This week's European crisis summit in Brussels has produced an agreement in an effort to mitigate what was looking like an inevitable economic catastrophe, judging by the dire situation in Greece and elsewhere in the eurozone. By Thursday, international markets were registering the results. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

EU Leaders Hold Emergency Huddle

Staff / Truthdig Oct 27, 2011 Greece is hanging by a thread, and its European neighbors scrambled to avoid a similar fate, and stave off even harder times for the Greeks, by holding a summit in Brussels on Wednesday. Here's a look at a couple of action items on the busy agenda for German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French Prime Minister Francois Fillon … (more) Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Basque Separatists Say Armed Conflict Is Over

Staff / Truthdig Oct 21, 2011 After more than 40 years and 800 deaths, the Basque separatist terrorist organization ETA has "decided on the definitive cessation of its armed activity," according to a statement published by the BBC. (more) Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Greek Parliament Passes Austerity Package

Staff / Truthdig Oct 21, 2011 While the international media zoomed in on Libya on Thursday, another important story was unfolding in Athens, where two days of strikes and protests failed to sway parliament members from passing a bill of austerity measures the Greek government insisted was necessary to avoid an even more catastrophic economic mess. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Prude Power Hits Britain

Staff / Truthdig Oct 11, 2011 British Prime Minister David Cameron and four of the country's Internet service providers are bending over backwards to accommodate parents concerned with the allegedly corrosive influence of titillating adverts and porn sites on youth, because teenagers never thought about sex before billboards were invented. (more) Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Twitter Tries to Cash In

Staff / Truthdig Oct 6, 2011 Twitter is trying to become a profitable business; the Pentagon is giving Afghanistan's riches to China; and Icelanders are egging their leaders. These discoveries and more after the jump. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

The Breakdown of the European Union

Staff / Truthdig Sep 21, 2011 The demise of the European Union has begun with riots; scholars afraid of repression are creating alternate Internets; meanwhile, the Occupy Wall Street protests are starting to get some traction with the mainstream. These discoveries and more after the jump. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

EU Slaps a Ban on Syrian Oil

Staff / Truthdig Sep 3, 2011 The European Union announced Saturday that it is banning purchases of Syrian oil, a first for Europe, which had thus far avoided targeting Syrian industry as a method to stem the government violence there. (more) Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Sarkozy Urges ‘One Voice’ for EU on Issue of Palestinian Statehood

Staff / Truthdig Sep 1, 2011 French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Wednesday in a speech to French ambassadors that he wanted all 27 countries of the European Union to speak with "one voice" in September on the issue of Palestinian statehood at the United Nations General Assembly. (more) Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

The Russians Are Coming (or Not)

Staff / Truthdig Aug 30, 2011 Correction: Back in 2007, a Russian official announced a scheme to build an underwater rail system linking Siberia to Alaska. Such a railway would require the longest tunnel ever built and expenditures of about $94 billion (by one estimate). More than four years later, the transcontinental railway was in the news again. (more) Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Les Riches Attempt to Pull a Buffett

Staff / Truthdig Aug 25, 2011 Sixteen of France's wealthiest people have pulled a Warren Buffett and asked to be taxed more in order to help pay for the nation's growing debt. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )