| SPIEGEL ONLINE | INTERNATIONAL NEWSLETTER |
| Compiled on February 05, 2013, 06:40 PM CET |
| A 200-BILLION-EURO WASTE Why Germany Is Failing to Boost Its Birth Rate Germany spends more on families than most European countries, but its birth rate is falling. A government-commissioned study seen by SPIEGEL argues most of the money is being wasted. Instead of complicated benefits and tax breaks, the government urgently needs to invest in preschools. |
| FARM WARS EU Grapples with Costs of Subsidizing Agriculture European Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Ciolos wants to reform Europe's agricultural policy, but resistance from the farming lobby threatens to derail his plans. It will be to the detriment of citizens, who are expected to pay for a highly subsidized industry that is harmful to the environment. |
| YOUNG AND STUCK Spain's Well-Educated Move Back to Madre As the euro crisis deepens in Spain, it is affecting a demographic that would seem relatively insulated: well-educated young people. Self-employed and lacking sufficient income, many are forced to move back in with their parents. |
| MATCH-FIXING SCANDAL How International Football Has Failed The results of the ongoing international investigation into the fixing of football matches reveal a far-reaching system that has affected hundreds of games. They also show that efforts by UEFA and FIFA to combat match-fixing have been a failure, as have attempts to arrest the scandal's primary suspect. |
| DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER MEKDAD 'Everyone Should Save Syria from Falling into Hell' The regime of President Bashar Assad has shown no signs of giving in even as opposition fighters have advanced to the outskirts of Damascus. In an interview with SPIEGEL ONLINE, Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal al Mekdad blames the West for the violence and says Assad has satisfied all opposition demands. |
| KILLED BY THE REGIME Aleppo's River of the Dead Last week, dozens of corpses were found on the shore of the Quweiq River in Aleppo, Syria. Many appear to have been students at a nearby university who were murdered by the regime after traveling to the city for exams. |
| CRISIS CONCERNS Investors Nervous about Italy and Spain Lately, the euro crisis seemed to have been fading into the background. But corruption allegations in Madrid and the potential comeback of Silvio Berlusconi in Rome have investors nervous. Interest rates on Spanish and Italian bonds have ticked upwards as a result. |
| RELIEF AFTER HANOVER FIND Police Retrieve Missing Golden Cookie Police in Hanover have retrieved what is believed to be the missing golden Liebniz cookie, the emblem of local food company Bahlsen. The decoration, which had disappeared a few weeks ago, apparently suffered light damage. |
| DEAD END IN STUTTGART? Berlin Turns Away from Massive Railway Project With overruns of 2.3 billion, the German federal government says it sees no reason why it should pay the extra costs of a major railway project in Stuttgart. Officials are accusing Deutsche Bahn of providing inaccurate information. |
| EMERGENCY CONTRAVENTION German Bishops Change Tune on Morning-After Pill The case of a young woman who was denied treatment by Catholic hospitals after she may have been raped has sparked a debate among German Catholics. At its heart is whether the Church should allow emergency contraceptive pills, or whether such drugs are equivalent to abortion. |
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