Uli Hoeness, the president of top Bayern Munich and an icon of German club soccer, could end up behind bars for tax evasion. The case has highlighted the dark side of the skilful entrepreneur and philanthropist whose burning ambition made Bayern what it is today -- and has now triggered his fall from grace. By SPIEGEL Staff more... [ Forum ]
The Greek half of Cyprus has been hard-hit by the banking crisis -- and now hopes are growing in the Turkish north for reconciliation. If the two populations could resolve their dispute, they could likely access large natural gas reserves estimated to be worth hundreds of billions of euros. By Ulrike Putz in Gemikonagi more... [ Forum ]
Wednesday, May 1, is a national holiday in Germany. SPIEGEL ONLINE International is publishing a limited number of stories. We will return to our normal schedule on Thursday. more...
In a SPIEGEL ONLINE interview, Cypriot Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides discusses prospects for fresh talks on a peace and reunification deal with Northern Cyprus and the growing humanitarian catastrophe in nearby Syria. more...
In a SPIEGEL interview, former United States National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski, 85, discusses President Barack Obama's tepid response to the civil war in Syria and allegations that chemical weapons have been deployed in the country. more... [ Forum ]
Following the succession of his mother Beatrix on Tuesday, Willem-Alexander became King of the Netherlands in a grand ceremony that drew royals from around the world and up to a million spectators. Most celebrated the coronation, but anti-monarchists also protested the historic day. By Gesa Mayr in Amsterdam more... [ Forum ]
The case of Bayern Munich President Uli Hoeness is heating up the German election campaign and presenting a challenge to the courts, which have gone easy on wealthy tax offenders until now. The high-profile case is likely to mean harsher punishments in the future. more... [ Forum ]
Jihadists from Germany are engaging in combat, and dying, on the side of the rebels in Syria. Authorities fear the young and inexperienced fighters will be radicalized before they return to Europe, assuming they survive at all. By Kurt Pelda more... [ Forum ]
In an interview, Chinese artist Zhao Zhao, who has a new exhibition in Berlin, discusses the state harassment he has experienced, his role as a troublemaker and why, recently, he is spending more time on his art than activism. more... [ Forum ]
German-born Olympic canoeist Josefa Idem has been named Italy's new minister for sports and equal opportunity. It's her first foray into national politics, and she's already sparring with the country's political heavyweights. By Fabian Reinbold more... [ Forum ]
European Parliament President Martin Schulz shielded German Chancellor Angela Merkel from French criticism on Monday evening, saying she couldn't be held responsible for all the bloc's economic woes because 26 other leaders are also involved in decision-making. more...
British scientist Stephen Wolfram has already developed two highly influential computational systems: Mathematica, an algebraic software program, and the popular search engine Wolfram Alpha. Now he's taking on Facebook's treasure trove of data, with results that would interest Mark Zuckerberg. more...
There are good dentists and bad ones, but here's a story of the dentist from hell. He pulled 20 of a patient's teeth without asking for permission. He appealed against a decision to revoke his license -- and lost. more... [ Forum ]
For years, the Dutch doubted whether Willem-Alexander -- the easy-going prince disparaged in the media as stupid, lazy and intemperate -- had what it takes to rule. Crowned king on Tuesday morning, the 46-year-old will now attempt something his mother never did: to be a thoroughly modern monarch. By Gesa Mayr more... [ Forum ]
More than 3,000 people worked producing cheap t-shirts for European clothing chains in the highrise sweatshop that collapsed in Bangladesh last week. Hundreds died because the facility was lacking even the most basic safety standards. By Hasnain Kazim, Nils Klawitter and Wieland Wagner more... [ Forum ]
A Disney film about altruistic chimpanzees has been a huge hit in the United States. The movie is about to be released in Germany, where it is being marketed as a true story. Now a German researcher who was the flick's main scientific adviser has admitted large parts of the touching story were made up. By Jörg Blech more... [ Forum ]
The Munich court where the NSU neo-Nazi terror trial is due to start on May 6 faces fresh controversy over media accreditation after several major German newspapers failed to obtain seats in a lottery of press passes. It was the second attempt to allocate seats after Turkish media had been left out in the first round. more...
Two months after the election, Italy finally has a new government. It is made up of parties bitterly opposed to each other, much like the political situation in Greece. Can it prevent political chaos and keep Silvio Berlusconi from rising again? By Fiona Ehlers more... [ Forum ]
For years, German federal law-enforcement officials hesitated to launch terrorism investigations against right-wing extremists. But the NSU debacle has prompted them to launch an unprecedented number of cases and to employ controversial means in an effort to avoid accusations of inaction. more...
While French President François Hollande deals with dismal jobless figures and turmoil surrounding the recent legalization of gay marriage, his upbeat predecessor goes on the thinly veiled offensive in Montreal. "When I look at those who succeeded me," Nicolas Sarkozy says, "I feel very good." more... [ Forum ]
Wages in Germany must increase and the government should establish a nationwide minimum wage, says EU Social Affairs Commissioner László Andor. In an interview with a German daily, he calls for a radical change in policy in the euro crisis and argues for a shift away from the country's export model. more... [ Forum ]
Italy's new left-right government, sworn in on Sunday, is younger than previous cabinets, has more women and contains a mix of technocrats and politicians. It's a promising start, write German commentators. But they note that it faces huge pressures, and will need to deliver results quickly. more...
In his debut novel, SPIEGEL ONLINE International editor David Crossland posits the question: What would happen if a Jewish candidate ran to become chancellor in Germany? An excerpt addresses the dangerous phenomenon of xenophobia and neo-Nazism in the country today. more... [ Forum ]
