Roberto Abraham Scaruffi

Wednesday 29 August 2012


SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL NEWSLETTER
Compiled on August 29, 2012, 06:08 PM CET
Bundesbank President on ECB Bond Purchases

'Too Close to State Financing Via the Money Press'

Jens Weidmann, the 44-year-old head of Germany's central bank, has made a name for himself by championing price stability and opposing bond purchases by the European Central Bank. In a SPIEGEL interview, he criticizes the ECB's latest plans and insists he only wants to secure the euro's long-term future.

Hope in the Euro Zone

Crisis-Hit Countries May Have Turned the Corner

The euro zone's crisis-hit countries are becoming more competitive, according to a new German study. Wage costs are down, and the countries are reducing their trade imbalances. Painful reforms appear to be slowly bearing fruit, and the euro zone might even return to growth next year.

Merkel in China

Berlin's Cozy New Relationship with Beijing

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and much of her cabinet are headed to Beijing on Thursday for a two-day diplomatic offensive. China has quickly become one of Germany's key partners, but several heated disagreements remained to be solved.

The Death of Moderation

Republicans Have Become a Party of Naysayers

Mitt Romney has succeeded in securing the Republican nomination in Tampa this week. And while he may want to govern as a statesman, he won't be able to count on his party for support. For years, many US conservatives have given up political responsibility in favor of hardline ideology.

Power Failures

Germany Rethinks Path to Green Future

Germany's energy revolution is the government's only major project -- but the problems keep piling up. The pace of grid expansion is sluggish, and electricity costs for consumers are rising. The environment minister wants to fundamentally alter the way green energy is subsidized, but will it mean putting the brakes on the entire project?

'Architects of Poverty'

The Self Destruction of Africa's ANC

South Africa's legendary African National Congress, the party of Nelson Mandela, is destroying itself. Corruption, cronyism, internal divisions and, more recently, the mine massacre in Marikana are draining support from the party's base -- and destroying the country's economy.

The World from Berlin

'A Question of Lufthansa's Very Future'

Flight crew at Lufthansa vowed to strike this week over the collapse of wage talks as the company struggles to regain profitability on its European routes. Germany's flag carrier airline has little choice but to push through massive cost cuts, say commentators, and its employees must be willing to contribute their share.

Dortmund Goes High-Tech

Football Club Nabs Neo-Nazi with Help of New Camera

Several German football teams have a problem with hooliganism among their fans. Now, league champion Borussia Dortmund has installed a new, high-tech surveillance system to combat the problem -- and nabbed a neo-Nazi on the season's opening day.

Fireball over Bavaria

World War II Bomb Detonated in Heart of Munich

Authorities detonated a World War II bomb in Munich on Tuesday night after efforts to defuse it were unsuccessful. Residents across the city heard the blast as windows shattered and several small fires started on area rooftops. It wasn't the only bomb scare in Europe this week.

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