| SPIEGEL ONLINE | INTERNATIONAL NEWSLETTER |
| Compiled on September 25, 2012, 06:59 PM CET |
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Google's Lobby Offensive
Internet Giant Builds Web of Influence in Berlin Search engine giant Google officially opens its hip new Berlin office this week. But the company has long been active in the German capital in its bid to influence government Internet policy. Its subtle approach to lobbying involves building an opaque network of PR professionals, activists and academics -- and its efforts are paying off. |
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A Factory for Start-Ups
Berlin Embraces Net Newbies and Leviathans This week, Google will open a high-profile office in the German capital, which has become a hub for technology firms. With the official opening next year of the Factory, a campus of companies including SoundCloud, entrepreneurs in the city hope to cement Berlin's reputation as Europe's leading city for start-ups. |
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Breaking the Banks
Switzerland Ponders a Future of Clean Money The end of Switzerland's famous banking secrecy seems inevitable as US and German authorities crack down on tax evaders. Many Swiss are asking themselves whether their prosperity will survive if the country abandons its status as a tax haven. But some academics argue that the importance of the banking sector has been wildly exaggerated. |
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The World from Berlin
Belarusian Elections Show Western 'Helplessness' The sham parliamentary election in Belarus this weekend has Western leaders calling for even tougher sanctions against the country's autocratic regime. But German editorialists on Tuesday are doubtful that this will do much to weaken dictator Alexander Lukashenko. |
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Hidden Under Garbage
Abandoned Cabaret Theater Discovered in Berlin The city of Berlin has experienced enormous change over the past century, and many of its old secrets have been lost through time. So when a gem like an old cabaret theater from the roaring '20s is rediscovered in the heart of the city, both historians and residents have reason to celebrate. |
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Neo-Nazi Cell Investigation
Berlin Suspected of Withholding Sensitive Information A primary suspect in the ongoing investigation into the National Socialist Underground, the neo-Nazi terror cell suspected of having murdered 10 people, worked as an informant for the city-state of Berlin. But senior officials have proven uncooperative in the investigation. |
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Birthplace of a Dictator
Austrian Town Wonders What to Do with Hitler's Home A debate has erupted in the tiny Austrian town of Braunau over what to do with the building where Adolf Hitler was born. The mayor said last week he wants it to become residential apartments, but many would like to see a memorial instead. The property has been vacant for over a year. |
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Double Lives
Study Reveals Germans Less Confident than they Seem Despite the euro crisis, Germany has largely flourished in recent years. So why are its people always complaining? A recent study shows they're plagued by self-doubt and fears of losing their prosperity. There may be something to the stereotype of the tortured German soul after all. |
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Picture This
Top Flight |
