The week at a glance...Europe
Europe
The Hague, Netherlands
Queen to abdicate: Queen Beatrix is stepping aside to let her son rule. Following a Dutch tradition of making room for a younger monarch, the queen said this week that she would abdicate at the end of April so Prince Willem-Alexander, 45, could begin his reign. Britain’s Prince Charles, though, won’t be so lucky. British monarchy experts said Queen Elizabeth, 86, is unlikely to follow the example. Wearing the British crown is a lifetime commitment, and abdication is seen as a scandal. “It’s completely alien to our system, and it’s also alien to our law,” said Lord Norton, an expert on British governance. “The queen remains the queen until such time as she dies.”
Rome
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Defending Mussolini: Former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi may be charged with a crime after his remarks at a ceremony to commemorate the Holocaust. Berlusconi said that, except for rounding up Jews, Mussolini was a good leader who was just being practical in siding with the Nazis. “Obviously the government of that time, out of fear that German power might lead to victory, preferred to ally itself with Hitler’s Germany rather than opposing it,” he said. Italian leaders of all political stripes called Berlusconi an “idiot” and a “disgrace to Italy,” and one politician sought to have him arrested for defending fascism. Berlusconi, whose party is polling second ahead of next month’s election, is appealing a recent conviction for massive tax fraud and is on trial for allegedly paying a minor for sex.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Blow your mind with The Week Junior Big Book of Knowledge!
The Week Junior Packed to the brim with brain-expanding facts and mind-blowing information, this is the unmissable first book from The Week Junior and the perfect gift for curious kids.
By The Week Junior Published
-
Crossword: October 3, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku hard: October 3, 2024
The Week's daily hard sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
The news at a glance...International
feature International
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
The bottom line
feature Youthful startup founders; High salaries for anesthesiologists; The myth of too much homework; More mothers stay a home; Audiences are down, but box office revenue rises
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
The week at a glance...Americas
feature Americas
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
The news at a glance...United States
feature United States
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
The news at a glance
feature Comcast defends planned TWC merger; Toyota recalls 6.39 million vehicles; Takeda faces $6 billion in damages; American updates loyalty program; Regulators hike leverage ratio
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
The bottom line
feature The rising cost of graduate degrees; NSA surveillance affects tech profits; A glass ceiling for female chefs?; Bonding to a brand name; Generous Wall Street bonuses
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
The news at a glance
feature GM chief faces Congress; FBI targets high-frequency trading; Yellen confirms continued low rates; BofA settles mortgage claims for $9.3B; Apple and Samsung duke it out
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
The week at a glance...International
feature International
By The Week Staff Last updated