| SPIEGEL ONLINE | INTERNATIONAL NEWSLETTER |
| Compiled on July 09, 2012, 07:15 PM CET |
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The Power Struggle
Merkel Wrestles with Court over Europe's Future Germany's Constitutional Court was set up after the war as part of an elaborate system of checks and balances. But recently it has been hampering the Germany government's efforts to solve the euro crisis, much to the annoyance of some politicians in Berlin. Critics accuse the court of wanting to safeguard its own power. |
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Veiled Criticism From Joachim Gauck
President Tells Merkel to Explain Her Euro Policies In a swipe at the German chancellor, President Joachim Gauck urged Angela Merkel on Sunday to explain to Germans what her euro policies mean. He said she has a duty to tell the country "in great detail" what she is doing to combat the euro crisis. |
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A More Perfect Union
Bank Oversight Plans May Threaten ECB Independence At the last European Union summit, leaders agreed to establish a banking oversight authority. It remains unclear, however, what such a system might look like. The European Central Bank is to play a role, but can it maintain its independence? |
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Afghanistan Conference in Tokyo
Donors Link Billions in Aid to Progress on Reforms At a donor conference in Tokyo, the international community has pledged $16 billion to support Afghanistan in the coming years. In return for the aid bonanza, President Hamid Karzai's government has committed itself to carrying out reforms and tackling corruption. But diplomats have heard such promises many times before. |
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The Lessons of AF 447
Did Faulty Computer Indicator Reinforce Pilot Errors? The pilots of Air France flight AF 447, which crashed into the Atlantic three years ago, ignored basic rules of flying, but were also misled by faulty computer indicators. Experts say pilots have become excessivley accustomed to automated flying and need to learn how to fly planes by hand. |
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Raids on Neo-Nazis
German Police Uncover New Militant Group Police in Germany carried out raids in three German states at the homes of suspected neo-Nazis. Officials believe they may have been in the process of creating a new armed, right-wing extremist group. |
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The World from Berlin
A 'Humiliating Show Trial' in Romania Romania's parliament voted to suspend President Traian Basescu on Friday pending an impeachment referendum later this month. But observers say the country's new prime minister is seriously overstepping his bounds. The rule of law is in grave danger, say German commentators. |
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Privacy at Risk
Government Slammed over Controversial Data Law The German government, responding to massive pressure from both inside and outside its coalition, appears intent on changing a controversial law that allows government offices to sell people's private information to marketing companies. Critics say the law was whisked through parliament in an undemocratic fashion. |
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Criticism of German Court's Circumcision Decision
Jews Denounce Ruling, Seek Ways to Proceed Israeli politicians and European Jewish leaders on Monday condemned a recent German court decision equating circumcision with causing bodily harm. Germany's top diplomat to Israel said the ruling does not apply at the national level, and officials at the Justice Ministry are reviewing the development. |
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Wind Park in No Man's Land
Offshore Project Stirs Up German-Dutch Border Dispute The German energy company EWE has begun construction on an offshore wind park in the North Sea, but Germany and the Netherlands can't agree on which side of the border it is on. It is one of Europe's last undefined frontiers and it is becoming a problem for the company. |
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Picture This
Olympic Mowing |
