| SPIEGEL ONLINE | INTERNATIONAL NEWSLETTER |
| Compiled on December 18, 2012, 06:22 PM CET |
| MYSTERY IN IRAQ Are US Munitions to Blame for Basra Birth Defects? The guns have been silent in Iraq for years, but in Basra and Fallujah the number of birth defects and cancer cases is on the rise. Locals believe that American uranium-tipped munitions are to blame and some researchers think they might be right. |
| CALL TO STATE GOVERNOR Deutsche Bank CEO Accused of Interfering With Probe Politicians have criticized the co-CEO of Deutsche Bank, Jürgen Fitschen, for telephoning the Hesse state governor to complain about a police raid on the bank last week. His behavior has fuelled doubts about whether the bank, which faces a number of lawsuits stemming from past deals, has the right management to reform its aggressive business culture. |
| GERMANY'S TRIAL OF THE CENTURY Retail Heiress Demanding 1.9 Billion Euros When German retailer Arcandor (née QuelleKarstadt) went bankrupt in 2009, it marked the end of a company rich in tradition. It also, though, resulted in the ruin of company heiress Madeleine Schickedanz after the collapse of a shady investment deal she made with bank Sal. Oppenheim. Now, she is demanding almost 2 billion euros in damages. |
| MONOCULTURE FOR THE HOLIDAYS Christmas Trees Replace Forests as Crop of Choice Environmental campaigners in Germany are up in arms because increasing areas of woodland are being switched to the cultivation of Christmas trees, which is far more lucrative than normal forests. Now a state government wants to limit the trend despite accusations that it is axing a centuries-old tradition. |
| TRUFFLE PARADISE IN SOUTHERN GERMANY Botanists Uncover Culinary Treasures Two researchers have discovered large numbers of truffles in southwestern Germany. They would like to see the country join France, Italy and Spain in becoming an exporter of the delicacy, which is highly sought after by gourmets. They say conditions in many parts of the country are prime for cultivating the fungus. |
| BABY BLUES German Efforts to Improve Birthrate a Failure Germany pumps billions of euros into efforts to increase the number of babies born in the country each year. A new report, however, says this has done little to ease the difficulty many Germans have in reconciling career and family. Plus, many no longer consider children a central part of life. |
| REAL-NAME POLICY UNDER FIRE Privacy Champions Hand Facebook an Ultimatum A German state privacy protection authority issued an ultimatum to Facebook this week: The company can either stop forcing members to use their real names, or face fines. The social networking site says it will fight the demands by Schleswig-Holstein, calling the measures a "waste of German taxypayer money." |
| GERMAN SHIPPING GIANT? Hapag Lloyd and Hamburg Süd Discuss Merger Two German container shipping companies, Hapag-Lloyd and Hamburg-Süd, could be on the verge of a merger. Should they join forces, the resulting behemoth would be among the world's biggest players in a sector plagued by surplus capacity and expensive fuel. |
