The world at a glance . . . Europe

London

Einstein rejected God: Albert Einstein called religion a “childish superstition” in a previously unknown letter put up for auction in London this week. “The word God is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses,” he wrote, describing the Bible as “a collection of honorable but still primitive legends.” Religious and nonreligious people have long scoured the great scientist’s remarks for evidence that he was on their side, but his public statements had always been more ambiguous. In the newly unearthed letter, written in 1954 to the philosopher Eric Gutkind, Einstein also said he had “a deep affinity” for his Jewish heritage, but did not believe that Jews are “the chosen people.” The letter, written in German, had been in a private collection for more than 50 years.

Vienna

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Lining up for nuclear club: At least 40 countries have approached the International Atomic Energy Association in Vienna about starting nuclear power programs, The Washington Post reported this week. The requests come mostly from nations in the Persian Gulf and Latin America and have raised concerns about a new nuclear arms race. Although the programs would ostensibly be for energy purposes only, they could serve as a steppingstone for the development of weapons. “Let’s not kid ourselves,” said IAEA director Mohammed ElBaradei. “Ninety percent of it is insurance, a deterrence.” Among the countries seeking nuclear capability are Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Libya, Jordan, Turkey, and Egypt. “At what point do you reach the nuclear tipping point,” asked a senior U.S. official, “when enough countries go nuclear that others decide they must do so, too?”

Belgrade, Serbia

Serbia swings toward the West: Serbians voted decisively in this week’s parliamentary election for a party promising greater integration with Western Europe. The pro-Western Democratic Party of President Boris Tadic secured an unexpectedly strong 10-point win over the far-right Radical Party. The vote was widely seen as a referendum on Tadic’s promise to secure Serbian membership in the European Union. “The citizens of Serbia have confirmed Serbia’s European path,” Tadic said. But the Democrats did not win enough seats to govern alone, and will have to form a coalition with smaller parties. Both the Democrats and the Radicals are wooing the Socialist Party, which was strongly nationalistic in the 1990s, but has become more moderate in recent years.