The US has been critical of Germany for not supporting NATO in the mission in Libya. SPIEGEL spoke to German Defense Minister Thomas de Maizière about Berlin’s skepticism of getting involved in Libya and Syria, and about the future of the NATO alliance. SPIEGEL: Minister de Maizière, during his recent […]
Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai sprang a surprise on Saturday by affirming for the first time publicly that the “United States is involved in peace talks with the Taliban”. The statement comes against the backdrop of growing tensions over Washington’s efforts to get him to agree to a strategic partnership […]
What a pity! Poland is issuing Gurantee for Greece. Huge collapse to this one of the greatest civilisation of the past? Poland intends to grant Greece 250 million euros guarantees in the framework of the European Stability Mechanism, Prime Minister Donald Tusk told a press briefing on Friday. http://www.warsawvoice.pl/WVpage/pages/article.php/cat/news
A Taliban suicide bomber attacked a German army convoy in northern Afghanistan on Sunday, killing three Afghan civilians. Two German soldiers received slight injuries. More Here…
An Austrian terror suspect arrested this week was plotting to crash a plane into the Reichstag building in Berlin, which houses the German parliament, a report said Saturday. Officials said a German with links to the suspect was also detained. Read More…
Bronisław Komorowski (R) and Micheline Calmy-Rey (L) The strength of the Swiss franc may cause problems not only for the Polish borrowers but also for the Swiss economy and its export, President of Switzerland Micheline Calmy-Rey said yesterday in Warsaw. Calmy-Rey came on a one-day visit […]
Germany’s opposition parties have poured scorn on the compromise brokered between Angela Merkel and French president Nicolas Sarkozy on a new Greek bailout package, which calls for the private sector to contribute voluntarily. “The idea of a voluntary contribution from the banks is ridiculous,” said Carsten Schneider, financial spokesman for […]
France’s Energy Minister Eric Besson is urging the European Commission to tackle the knock-on effects of Germany’s decision to abandon nuclear power, fearing energy supplies problems, in a letter seen Friday. “Our national decisions can have a substantial impact on the balance between electricity demand and supply in other European […]
They’ve conquered Broadway, talk radio, the U.S. Senate-and they may win the White House. Why Mitt Romney and 6 million Mormons have the secret to success. Say what you will about him, but Mitt Romney doesn’t do, or not do, anything by accident. Take June 2, when the former Massachusetts […]
Syrian President Bashar Assad is driving away his own people, say refugees who have fled into Turkey. Eyewitnesses describe executions, random violence and bodies in the streets. But despite the exiles’ suffering, many Turks are suspicious of their motives for crossing the border. More Here…
According to media Reports Pakistan President Zardari has consented to use his name as the father’s name in official documentation for many children of unknown parentage. The move is an attempt to legalise the status of a large number of children who were born legally but whose parentage is unknown, […]
China has sent one of it largest patrol ships through the South China Sea amid heightened tension over the disputed waters. The Haixun-31 sailed on Wednesday and will monitor shipping and “protect maritime security” on its way to Singapore, state media said. Read More
China has closed Tibet to all foreign tourists until the end of July, say travel agents in the region. The move is being seen as an attempt by Beijing to prevent unrest ahead of celebrations marking 90 years since the founding of the ruling Communist Party. Read More
Although many top German athletes come from immigrant families, very few Muslim girls and women in Germany play sports. Many parents see Western sports culture as a threat and keep their daughters away from coed athletic clubs. But some forward-thinking initiatives show how young female Muslims can be encouraged to […]
The German army can no longer trust the Afghan intelligence services, fearing that they are deliberately withholding information about imminent attacks, according to Defence Ministry documents leaked this week. More here…
A string of attacks on European IKEA stores have left company officials and police baffled. The latest scare occurred in the German city Kiel on Wednesday, just five days after the minor explosion of an incendiary device at one of the Swedish retailer’s stores in Dresden. For most IKEA shoppers, the largest […]
An idyllic Austrian village has apparently impressed Chinese architects so much that they have decided to copy it in their own country. But the townspeople living in the UNESCO World Heritage site are unhappy about the plans. Residents of the Austrian mountain town of Hallstatt, population 800, are scandalized. A Chinese […]
A woman who admitted she never passed a driving test but bought a fake Filipino driving license has been told by a court she can continue driving on German roads. Read More…
Germany will open a special cyber-defence facility on Thursday amid warnings the country’s infrastructure is at serious risk from internet attacks by hackers and terrorists. The National Cyber Defence Centre in Bonn will be dedicated to thwarting such threats, according to German Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich. Read More…
Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra now lives in exile in Dubai. Sentenced in Thailand to two years in prison for abuse of office, Thaksin hopes his younger sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, will become the country’s new prime minister in July so he can return home. He talks to SPIEGEL about past mistakes and his […]