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MOTIVATED BY PROFITS, NOT PHILANTHROPY

Heineken Claims Its Business Helps Africa. Is That Too Good To Be True?

theguardian.com Business Long Reads Drink Africa Europe 2d

The Dutch beer giant likes to blow its own trumpet about the economic and social benefits it brings to Africa — but revelations of sexual harassment and low pay show a different picture.

NORMAL TOWN

The Swiss Town Obsessed With The Number 11

BBC Travel Europe Cities Curious 2d

Solothurn is home to 11 churches, 11 chapels, 11 fountains, 11 towers and 11 museums — an astonishing architectural ensemble.

Why everybody wears plaid in Scotland

vox.com 1w

The history of tartan is inherently political.

RUDE TBH

A Mysterious Mold Is Eating An 800-Year-Old Cathedral

mysteriousuniverse.org World Architecture Europe Travel Curious 2w

The 800-year-old Sé Velha de Coimbra is the only surviving Romanesque cathedral in Portugal, and it's being slowly devoured by a type of black mold that scientists say has never been seen before.

'YANIS IS A VERY TALENTED TROLL'

Yanis Varoufakis's Internationalist Odyssey

The Nation Politics World Europe 14 Dec 2018

The former Greek finance minister is on a quest to unite the global left.

THE DEBUNKER BECOMES THE DEBUNKED!

That Photo 'Debunking' The Paris Protest Fires is Actually Bullshit

Gizmodo Internet Photos Europe World News Media 13 Dec 2018

The photos weren't merely taken from different perspectives — they were taken on completely different days on completely different streets.

RATED 'R' FOR... REALISM?

'Eighth Grade' Shows The Difference Between How The US And Europe Think About Teens And Sex

Quartz Movies Sex Culture Europe 26 Jul 2018

While teenagers in the US might well relate to the movie's heroine, they won't be able to see the movie in theaters — unless they're at least 17 or accompanied by a parent or guardian.

AUTO TARIFFS NOT MENTIONED

Trump, EU Agree To Work On Lowering Tariffs, Averting A Potential Trade War

CNBC News Donald Trump Europe Money Economics 26 Jul 2018

Key details of the agreement were still unclear late Wednesday afternoon, but a deal not to impose further tariffs while negotiations are underway would avert a trade war between the United States and Europe.

TFW YOU'RE BEING CONSTANTLY WATCHED

The American Academic Mistaken For A Spy

New Republic Histories Books Criminal Justice Europe 18 Jul 2018

As a researcher in Ceausescu's Romania, Katherine Verdery did not suspect how profoundly the secret police interfered in her life.

FOR WHOM THE NOBEL TOLLS

The Ugly Scandal That Canceled The Nobel Prize

theguardian.com Long Reads Europe Sexual Assault Books 17 Jul 2018

Sweden's literary elite has been thrown into disarray by allegations of sexual harassment and corruption.

DISTRIBUTING WEALTH WORKS

Unlike Most Millennials, Norway's Are Rich

BBC Money Economics Policy World Europe 10 Jul 2018

Young Norwegians have enjoyed a 13% rise in disposable household income, bucking a downward trend in other strong economies. Will this golden age last?

SHOW US THE LIE

Belgium Plays France Today, So Eat Fries With Mayo — The Way It's Meant To Be

grubstreet.com Food Europe 10 Jul 2018

While some Americans get the superiority of mayo, there is still a lot of work to be done. Many Americans still seem to be as behind in this matter as in many other important issues.

Power-Hungry Data Centers Will Slow Denmark's Progress on Climate

citylab.com 26 Jun 2018

Despite its embrace of renewable energy, Denmark's emissions are expected to rise as tech companies locate data centers there.

FOR THE LULZ

The Reason Thousands Of Swedish People Are Inserting Microchips Into Themselves

Quartz Technology Human Nature Europe 25 Jun 2018

The factors behind why roughly 3,500 Swedes have had microchips implanted in them are more complex than you might expect.

CONGRATULATIONS, WOMEN OF IRELAND!

Irish Times Exit Poll Projects Ireland Has Voted By Landslide To Legalize Abortion

irishtimes.com World Gender Politics Europe 25 May 2018

Ireland has voted by a landslide margin to change its constitution so that abortion can be legalized, according to an exit poll conducted for the Irish Times.

Ireland’s Vote on Abortion Is a Referendum on the Nation’s Future

The New Yorker 24 May 2018

The election—a test of the Catholic Church’s grip on the country—will determine whether Irish women will continue to be shamed and coerced if they don’t want to carry their pregnancies to term.

SORRY WE'RE STILL CLAIMING IT

Macaroni And Cheese's Mysterious Origins

BBC Food Culture Histories Europe 2 Feb 2018

Americans especially love to claim macaroni and cheese as their own, but a trail of clues points to the Swiss Alps.

UGH, NORWAY IS *TOO* PERFECT SOMETIMES

Palm Oil Is Terrible For The Rainforest, So Norwegians Just... Stopped Eating It

Food Business Europe Money Video World Long Views 1 Feb 2018

Think public awareness campaigns don't work? An environmental group got Norway to cut its palm oil consumption by two-thirds, just by educating people about it.