Paul Ames

Barcelona’s Battle Of The Banners

The proliferation of banners is a side-effect of the debate raging across the city — and the wider Catalonia region — over the prospect of breaking away from Spain.

Paul Ames
By Paul Ames
A pro-independence protester holds a "estelada" flag, that symbolizes Catalonia's independence, as lawmakers vote on whether to seek the right to hold a referendum on independence from Spain at the Parliament of Catalonia in Barcelona, Spain, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2014. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

BARCELONA, Spain — From grim outer-city high-rise blocks to the modernist mansions of the Eixample neighborhood and the Gothic Quarter's medieval tenements, Barcelona is draped in flags. The proliferation of banners is a side-effect of the debate raging across the city — and the wider Catalonia region — over the prospect of breaking away from

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In This German Riverside Town, Small Is Beautiful

German support for small business has kept its economy thriving as the rest of Europe languishes in recession.

Paul Ames
By Paul Ames

WERTHEIM AM MAIN, Germany — Tourists disembarking from luxurious Amsterdam-to-Budapest river cruises may not believe Wertheim is a global industrial powerhouse. There are no billowing smokestacks, no smog or rumble of heavy machinery. Instead, the pretty little town on the river Main wows visitors with its romantic hilltop castle and cobbled

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British Gibraltarians Still Fending Off ‘Spanish Armada’

A fishing dispute between Spain and tiny Gibraltar has revived a centuries-old patriotic fervor.

Paul Ames
By Paul Ames

GIBRALTAR — Ask most Gibraltarians whether their tiny strip of land should be returned to Spain and you get a look of pain and disbelief that anyone would raise such question. "It's exactly the same as telling people living in Florida that Spain wants that back," says Eugene Howe as he waits for a bus under a marble monument to British soldiers

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Will PRISM Be The End Of Europeans’ Love Affair With Obama?

Washington’s PRISM spy scandal dents Barack Obama’s image ahead of his Europe trip.

Paul Ames
By Paul Ames

BRUSSELS, Belgium — Europe's love affair with Barack Obama is under strain. Polls showed up to 90 percent of Europeans would have voted for him in November's election, but their faith has been rocked by revelations of global cyber-snooping by US agencies under Obama's watch. "How can we speak about an EU-US special relationship, when

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Could Fracking Make The Persian Gulf Irrelevant?

From NATO to China, the world watches America’s energy revolution.

Paul Ames
By Paul Ames

BRUSSELS, Belgium — America's fracking revolution is changing the dynamics of world energy. Since November, the United States has replaced Saudi Arabia as the world's biggest producer of crude oil. It had already overtaken Russia as the leading producer of natural gas. The emergence of the United States as a global energy superpower has a

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Fear Of A Black Europe: Racism Rises On The Old Continent

The economic crisis in Europe sparked the rise of the Nazi-inspired Golden Dawn party in Greece, where minorities are blamed for stealing jobs.

Paul Ames
By Paul Ames

BRUSSELS, Belgium — The appointment of Italy's first black cabinet minister was a cause for celebration for anti-racism campaigners in Europe. Their joy was cut short by reactions to Congo-born Cecile Kyenge taking office. "This is a bonga bonga government," said Mario Borghezio, a member of the European Parliament representing Italy's

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Tax Haven No Longer? Luxembourg Resists Change To Lax Regulations

Pressure mounts on Europe’s richest country as campaign against tax evasion heats up.

Paul Ames
By Paul Ames

LUXEMBOURG — It's hardly surprising Luxembourg's motto is "We want to stay what we are." Citizens of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg are the world’s richest by some counts. The World Bank puts their output per head at $107,000, compared to just $50,000 for Americans. However, that may not stay true for long. European leaders are calling for

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