ABKHAZIA: Why This Is the Breakaway Republic

The Russian city of Adler, at the southern edge of the country on the Black sea coast, is the only gateway that has kept Abkhazia connected to the rest of the world during 16 years of isolation since the Abkhazian-Georgian war of 1992.

RIGHTS: No, Obama Does Not Live in Europe

Nobody quite remembers the first name of that relative of Colin Powell. Or his second, for that matter.

RIGHTS-SPAIN: Demolishing Memory

The wrecking balls have begun to smash into the walls of the notorious Carabanchel prison, built by the dictatorship of Francisco Franco (1939-1975) to hold its opponents.

ENERGY-EU: Zero Carbon Communities

This small municipality in the south of Portugal is becoming increasingly well-known for its alternative energy initiatives. The latest is the Sunflower project, which also involves communities in seven other European Union countries.

EUROPE: A Phone Book Without Numbers

A new European Union initiative officially aimed at improving transparency is providing only scant details about the influence that corporate lobbyists wield over the decision-making process, according to environmental and consumer rights advocates.

EUROPE: Commission Shows its Corporate Hand

The intimate relationship between policymakers and multinational companies was illustrated Oct. 28 when the European Commission virtually handed over the headquarters of its trade department to the umbrella group for Europe's employers.

ENVIRONMENT: Europe Casts a Net for Dying Fish

The European Union has resisted calls for a ban on fishing for bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean despite warning signs that the species is being exploited towards extinction.

NETHERLANDS: When the Electricity Is in Your Feet

As everyone knows, the wind and the sun produce energy. But now there is also a way to generate electricity by dancing.

RIGHTS-EUROPE: Turned Away at Gunpoint

Weapons were pointed directly at migrants trying to enter Italy during a recent operation coordinated by the European Union's border control agency, it has been alleged.

EUROPE: Brussels Finds a Way to Welcome Muslims

The aroma of roasted chickens wafts through the air. Bakeries teem with baklava and other calorie-laden delights.

ROMANIA: Election Fever Sparks Labour Unrest

Just weeks before general elections, Romanian legislators have approved drastic increases in teachers' wages, causing massive protests from state employees around the country looking for similar benefits.

RIGHTS-SPAIN: Digging Up Past Atrocities

When it seemed that the atrocities committed during the 1936-1939 Spanish civil war and the 1939-1975 dictatorship of General Francisco Franco were buried once and for all, the debate has been reopened.

RIGHTS: EU Parliament Acts Against Child Trafficking

The European Union needs to develop a programme against child trafficking, the bloc's only directly elected institution has declared.

CLIMATE CHANGE: EU Could be Greener

The outcome of a crucial European Parliament vote on tackling climate change this week was not as negative as many green activists had feared. Yet it also suggested that the rhetoric of European politicians on how they must exercise leadership to ward off the threat posed by rising temperatures is not being matched with decisive action.

SERBIA: Women Farmers Doubly Disadvantaged

Among disadvantaged women in Serbia, none seem worse off than farmers, a new study shows.

BELARUS: Still Out in the Cold

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has failed to win the support of European Union (EU) member states and the United States following elections last month, that international observers found largely incompatible with democratic standards.

ENVIRONMENT: EU Stepping Back from Cleaning Up

Most of the European Union's promised cuts in greenhouse emissions could be undertaken outside the bloc under a proposal to be considered by law-makers this week.

CZECH REPUBLIC: Communism Alive, Despite Isolation

The government's frequent use of the 'communist card' against opponents is casting a shadow on its lustration attempts in a country where an isolated but strong communist party persists.

SPAIN: Elderly Rights on Track, But Still Long Way to Go

On the International Day of Older Persons, celebrated Wednesday, elderly people in Spain can look back and say that their situation has improved significantly over the last few years, but that measures still need to be taken to attain full respect for their rights.

EUROPE: Preparing to Get at Resources of the Poor

European Union officials are drawing up a new strategy for giving multinational companies greater access to minerals and wood located in poor countries.

RIGHTS-CZECH REPUBLIC: Life on Perpetual Hold for ‘Lifers’

Eighteen years after the death penalty was abolished in the Czech lands, little has been done to prepare anyone convicted of the gravest crimes for their eventual return to society.