The week at a glance...Europe
Europe
Arafat murder probe: French prosecutors have opened an investigation to determine whether former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was murdered. Arafat died at age 75 in 2004 in a French hospital, after a sudden illness. The cause of death was listed as a stroke, but his wife suspected murder by Israeli agents. This summer a Swiss lab tested Arafat’s possessions at his wife’s request and found that his toothbrush and underwear bore traces of polonium—the radioactive element that killed Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2006, a death blamed on Russian agents. Investigators now plan to test Arafat’s bodily remains. “Israel did not have any hand in this,” said Dov Weisglass, who was an Israeli official at the time of the death. “We did not physically hurt Arafat when he was in his prime, and we had even less inclination when he was politically sidelined.”
Stockholm
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.
Spies party it up: Sweden’s spy agency, Säpo, is struggling to explain why it spent some $800,000 in taxpayer money on a James Bond–themed party for its staff. The bash, in the summer of 2011, featured casino tables, a swing band, and a gourmet spread. The lavish event only came to public attention last week because of an accounting error: Säpo claimed more than the permitted amount in sales-tax reimbursement. Säpo head Anders Thornberg said the party was a rare perk for staff after several terror threats and an Islamist suicide bombing the previous year. “We’d been subjected to extreme pressure,” he said. “We thought that we needed a special gathering.”
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
-
Could medics' misgivings spell the end of the assisted dying bill?
Today's Big Question The Royal College of Psychiatrists has identified 'serious concerns' with the landmark bill – and MPs are taking notice
-
The Chelsea Townhouse: London luxury feels right at home
The Week Recommends This boutique hotel strikes the right note between sophisticated and cosy
-
What are the different types of nuclear weapons?
The Explainer Speculation mounts that post-war taboo on nuclear weapons could soon be shattered by use of 'battlefield' missiles
-
The news at a glance...International
feature International
-
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
-
The week at a glance...Americas
feature Americas
-
The news at a glance...United States
feature United States
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
The week at a glance...International
feature International