| SPIEGEL ONLINE | INTERNATIONAL NEWSLETTER |
| Compiled on May 09, 2013, 05:14 PM CET |
| WAR ANGST AND KARAOKE Daily Life as Bizarre As it Gets in South Korea North Korea threatens to start a nuclear war, while South Korea dances Gangnam style. Those are the clichés. War has never been this close, but Koreans in Seoul confront their fears by going about a bizarre version of everyday life, complete with truffle pasta and super-smart phones. |
| HOLIDAY PUBLISHING SCHEDULE A Note to Our Readers Thursday, May 9, is a national holiday in Germany. SPIEGEL ONLINE International is publishing a limited number of stories. We will return to our normal schedule on Friday. |
| PARENTHOOD FOR SALE Spain in Crisis Becomes Fertility Destination Even as the economy has tanked, Spain in recent years has become a destination for women and couples seeking to become pregnant through in vitro fertilization. Egg donors are plentiful. |
| 'CAN'T CALL THAT SAVINGS' German Central Bank Head Blasts France German central bank head Jens Weidmann has strongly criticized French efforts to reduce its budget deficit, just days after the European Union granted Paris more time to meet EU requirements. He warns that French delays could damage the credibility of euro-zone rules. |
| ANIMATED SUCCESS The Life of Germany's Own Walt Disney Asthma forced Hans Fischerkoesen to spend most of his childhood in bed, but this period also ignited his imagination. In time, "Germany's Walt Disney" would go on to become an animation legend. But his career almost became derailed by World War II -- until Hitler stepped in. |
| TAX FRAUD Court Upholds Guilty Verdict against Berlusconi A second court has upheld a tax fraud conviction against Silvio Berlusconi. The former Italian prime minister now only has one appeal left. If convicted, he could be barred from public office, but he is unlikely to face actual jail time. |
| DEBAUCHERY DISRUPTED Father's Day Lightening Strike Injures 40 Father's Day in Germany is traditionally an occasion for massive alcohol intake and a bit of quality time with the guys. One such gathering on Thursday, however, was disrupted by a lightening strike, sending dozens of revellers to the hospital. |
| WAGNER CONTROVERSY Opera Cancels Holocaust Staging of 'Tannhäuser' A staging of Richard Wagner's "Tannhäuser" -- set during the Holocaust and including a gas chamber and a shooting scene -- shocked audience members so badly that some had to be given medical attention. The theater has now cancelled the production out of fear it will damage its artistic reputation. |
