| SPIEGEL ONLINE | INTERNATIONAL NEWSLETTER |
| Compiled on March 30, 2012, 06:36 PM CET |
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First Contacts with Hollande Camp
Merkel Braces for Possible Sarkozy Election Defeat Angela Merkel initially refused to receive French presidential candidate François Hollande when he offered a meeting recently. But as his victory against Nicolas Sarkozy seems more likely, the German Chancellery has made its first contacts with the Socialist Party politician's camp. After all, Berlin and Paris must stick together. |
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The World from Berlin
'Even a 1-Trillion Euro Firewall Wouldn't Be Enough' European finance ministers meeting in Copenhagen on Friday agreed to boost the euro-zone firewall to over 800 billion euros. The move marks another U-turn on the part of the Merkel administration, which recently dropped its opposition to increasing the fund. German commentators warn that even the new firewall may still be too small. |
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Nein To 'Nuclear Option'
Germany Opposes French Call for Trillion-Euro Bailout Fund Ahead of a meeting of euro-zone finance ministers in Copenhagen Friday, France has called for the size of the permanent euro bailout fund to be increased to 1 trillion euros, echoing a previous call by the OECD. Although Germany said it would agree to an increase in the fund earlier this week, Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble says a trillion goes too far. |
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Germany's Best-Loved Cowboy
The Fantastical World of Cult Novelist Karl May Karl May, who died 100 years ago, was an impostor, a liar and a thief -- and one of Germany's most widely read authors. He embellished his own biography with as much fantasy as the scenarios in his adventure novels, and when the deceit was finally exposed, he never recovered. But his legend lives on. |
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Foreign Fighters Join Syrian Rebels
Jihadists Declare Holy War Against Assad Regime Abu Rami hails from Lebanon, but his heart is in Syria these days. The 40-year-old is one of hundreds of Arabs who are fighting against the Assad regime at the side of Syrian insurgents. Many of these volunteer fighters are veterans of the Iraq war, who have now brought their holy war to Syria. |
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The Price of Cool
Berlin's Struggling Artists Demand Share of the Pie With almost a billion euros in annual arts subsidies, Berlin has transformed itself into one of the world's major meccas for the arts. But tight budgets and a shrinking number of alternative venues have pitted established institutions against the avant-garde and threaten the city's lucrative status as Europe's self-proclaimed "art capital." |
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Even Cuter?
Knut's New Half-Sister Makes Public Debut A polar bear cub who shares the same father as late Berlin celebrity Knut made her debut this week at the Wuppertal Zoo. But unlike her half-brother, wee Anori has not been abandoned by her mother. The cuddly pair delighted visitors with a romp around their enclosure, and zoo officials are optimistic about her future. |
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Berlin's Forgotten Half
Excavations Shed Light on History of Cölln Centuries ago, a settlement named Cölln formed the core of what is now the German capital. However, it was subsequently subsumed by the growing city of Berlin and disappeared without a trace. Spectacular finds are now helping archaeologists reconstruct the history of the village and its inhabitants. |
