| SPIEGEL ONLINE | INTERNATIONAL NEWSLETTER |
| Compiled on August 30, 2013, 06:28 PM CET |
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Rage and Refuge
German Asylum System Hits Breaking Point Germany has recently seen a significant rise in the number of asylum seekers arriving in the country. Its shelters are overwhelmed and opposition to new ones has recently turned ugly. Refugees themselves argue that the system is broken. |
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Flats over Shelters
Asylum Seekers Embrace Alternative Housing New shelters for asylum seekers in Germany often face protests from local residents or from right-wing groups. But an alternative housing model that gives families their own flats has proven effective in Leverkusen. |
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Atoning for Libya
Germany Seeks Low Profile in Syria All eyes are on the international community this week as the US prepares to strike Syria. In Germany, political leaders are keen to avoid a repeat of the embarrassing mistakes made in the run-up to the Libya intervention. Experts say Berlin will offer political support but little else. |
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War Weary Europe
The US Loses an Ally The British parliament on Thursday blocked Prime Minister David Cameron's move to join the US in an air strike on Syria. The decision weakens Europe's standing against despots like Bashar Assad, who now know that Britain is no longer a reliable partner for the United States. |
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'Germany Votes White'
Chocolate Ad Sparks Racism Accusations Candy company Ferrero has pulled an election-themed commercial for white chocolates after viewers compared its taglines -- which include "Germany votes white" and "white nuts stay" -- to those of far-right extremists. |
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Selling Lies
Alibi Agencies Help Create Double Lives An episode of Germany's top crime show recently highlighted a secretive business: helping clients create and maintain lies. Now one such agency is struggling to keep up with the demand. |
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Goodbye Ossi
The Demise of Eastern German Identity For years following reunification, those from the communist east saw themselves as "eastern Germans." Now, more than two decades after the Berlin Wall fell, that identity is rapidly disappearing. East Germany is almost completely gone. |
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Popular with Populists
Euroskeptic Party Attracts Right Wing Since its launch in April, euroskeptic party Alternative for Germany has been accused of peddling right-wing sentiments. A new study establishes the party's centrist status, but shows that it still attracts right-wing populist attention. |
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Living Offline
Minister Halts After-Hours Contact for Staff To prevent burnout among its employees, the German Labor Ministry is introducing new rules that severely restrict when they can be contacted outside of working hours. It hopes German industry will follow suit. |
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Swimming with Swans
Escaped Seal Takes Over Zoo Pond Visitors to the Karlsruhe Zoo are lining up to see Zola, a young seal who escaped her enclosure and took up residence in a pond close by. |
