| INTERNATIONAL NEWSLETTER |
| Compiled on August 24, 2012, 07:04 PM CET |
| TWENTY YEARS AFTER ROSTOCK Racism and Xenophobia Still Prevalent in Germany Twenty years ago, a neo-Nazi mob attacked a hostel for foreigners in Rostock, one of several similar crimes in the early 1990s. Today, however, Germany is still plagued by a significant level of racism and right-wing extremism in both the east and the west. For far too long, officials seemed content to ignore the problem. |
| 'THE BLACK PLAGUE' Russia Plays Game of Arctic Roulette in Oil Exploration Thawing sea ice and improved technology is opening up the race for natural resource exploration in the Arctic Circle, home to nearly a quarter of the world's untapped oil reserves. Russia leads the race and has promised to adhere to environmental guidelines. But accidents and other damage resulting from the country's oil exploration tell a different story. |
| EMBRACING THE WIND Denmark's Recipe for a Model Democracy Hailed as a "miracle of modern politics," Denmark consistently earns top marks for its efficient governance, innovation and transparency. Nowhere is this more apparent than with its successful embrace of wind power, making it a role model for the world. |
| MASSIVE RAIDS Authorities Target Neo-Nazis in Western Germany Authorities in the western state of North-Rhine Westphalia have launched a massive crackdown on violent neo-Nazis. The state's Interior Ministry has banned three groups following raids on dozens of properties. Police also found evidence of possible links to the far-right NPD party. |
| THE WORLD FROM BERLIN Greek Request for 'More Time Equals More Money' Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, who met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday, says his country needs more time to meet its obligations. German editorialists argue that asking for more time amounts to asking for more money and insist that Greece should stick to the schedule. |
| 21 YEARS IN PRISON Breivik Gets the Verdict He Wanted On Friday, a court in Norway sentenced Anders Breivik, who admitted to killing 77 people in premeditated attacks, to at least 21 years in prison. The judged deemed Breivik to be sane and handed down the country's maximum permissible sentence. Prosecutors had hoped he would be declared insane. |
| SUDDENLY OUT OF FASHION Support Wanes for Germany's Upstart Pirates Just a few months ago, the Pirate Party was the enfant terrible of Germany's political landscape, climbing rapidly in the polls. But a new survey released Friday finds that its support has dropped by more than half. While the party plays down its problems, experts now warn it may fail in its goal of securing seats in the national parliament in next year's election. |
| ANGELA'S ADVERSARY Author Takes 'Merkel System' To Task Criticism of German Chancellor Angela Merkel has always been shrill in Germany. Now Gertrud Höhler, a confidante of Merkel's political mentor, former Chancellor Helmut Kohl, has upped the ante with a new book claiming that Merkel is obsessed with power, ruining the euro and installing an "autocratic regime." |
| GRIMACING AGAINST THE CRISIS Spain Keeps Smiling with Ugly Face Competition Times are tough in Spain, and people have little to smile about these days. But the annual battle of ugly faces in the Basque city of Bilbao proves that the country has lost none of its sense of humor. |
| PICTURE THIS Neck and Neck |
