The cost of modernizing US nuclear weapons, including those stationed in Germany, has risen sharply, according to estimates. Several independent experts told SPIEGEL ONLINE that the bill for renewing the B61 atomic bomb will rise to $6 billion. The project will also upset Russia, they say. By Markus Becker more...
Greece is on the verge of economic collapse and yet the country's left wants to jettison austerity measures. Would this leave any alternative other than exiting the euro? SPIEGEL ONLINE invited the leader of Greece's pro-business Drasi party and an anti-austerity Syriza parliamentarian to debate the issues. more...
Cologne-based rapper Najafi has drawn the wrath of Shiite Muslims after publishing a song that appeared to make fun of the 10th imam. Following a fatwa by an Iranian ayatollah, he has received death threats, and there is a $100,000 bounty on his head. Now he is under police protection but insists he will keep making music. By SPIEGEL Staff
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Last week, officials announced that Berlin's modern new airport would not open as planned on June 3. Now, it looks as though the first flights may not take off at the facility until March of 2013. more...
Chancellor Angela Merkel sacked Environment Minister Norbert Röttgen on Wednesday, replacing him with her close aide Peter Altmaier. Röttgen, a former protege of the chancellor, lost a major election for Merkel's conservative party on Sunday. more...
All across crisis-hit Europe, voters are disillusioned with mainstream politicians and are turning to populist and radical parties. In Italy, the new rising force is comedian Beppe Grillo's grassroots Five Star Movement. But can the charismatic agitator supply real solutions to the country's problems? By Fiona Ehlers more... [ Forum ]
In a SPIEGEL interview, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski praises his country's partnership with Germany, explains why Poland would like to eventually join the euro and urges Berlin to act more decisively in its handling of the common currency crisis. By Erich Follath and Jan Puhl more... [ Forum ]
Unable to create a government after nine days of negotiations, Greeks are slated to head back to the polls in June for a second attempt. In Germany, editorialists almost universally share the view that the new election will be a de facto referendum on whether the country should remain in the euro zone. more...
Just hours after his rain-soaked inauguration, new French President François Hollande flew to Berlin to meet with the German chancellor. The pair did all they could to exude amiability, but with Hollande now intent on fulfilling his myriad campaign promises, it remains to be seen how long the congeniality will last. By Severin Weiland in Berlin more...
A group of left-wing extremists in Germany has claimed responsibility for an arson attack aimed at the EU task force leader for Greece. His efforts to implement painful reforms there are unwanted, said the group, which has also threatened further attacks. more...
When President Viktor Yanukovych assumed Ukraine's top office, he pledged to battle corruption. Now Ukrainians suspect he is abusing his position to profit himself, family and friends. They operate a network of successful firms, while the purchase of his luxury residence has been skillfully obfuscated. By Benjamin Bidder in Kiev more...
Greece will hold a new election in June after President Karolos Papoulias failed on Tuesday to persuade parties to form a government. The anti-austerity SYRIZA party could win next month, raising the prospect that Greece will abandon its reforms and quit the euro. Markets fell sharply on the news. more...
Hopes that Chancellor Angela Merkel will back down from her strict insistence on austerity are likely to be dashed despite mounting European criticism of her policy and a crushing state election defeat for her party on Sunday. Most Germans like how she has handled the crisis, say analysts. By David Crossland more...
Berlin had hoped to gain worldwide recognition for its futuristic new international airport. But after the announcement that the facility won't open on time due to massive safety problems, the city is embarrassed and the hunt for who to blame has begun. By SPIEGEL Staff
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A debate about violent Salafists has erupted in Germany after radical Muslims clashed with supporters of the anti-Islamic Pro NRW party during its recent election campaign. Three young Muslims who took part in a demonstration against the party in Cologne described their pious worldview to SPIEGEL. By Hubert Gude, Souad Mekhennet and Christoph Scheuermann more... [ Forum ]
François Hollande, sworn in as French president on Tuesday, will have no time to savor the moment. He will dash to Berlin to challenge Angela Merkel's austerity policy on Tuesday evening. Then he has to form a cabinet and honor his pledge to cut ministerial salaries. He urgently needs to score successes ahead of parliamentary elections in June. By Stefan Simons in Paris more...
A large portion of Germany's massive gold reserves are stored abroad, mainly in the Federal Reserve in New York. But are the bars really where they are supposed to be? A dispute has broken out over whether the central bank needs to check on its gold, or if Germany can trust its international partners. more... [ Forum ]
The German economy powered ahead in the first quarter with 0.5 percent GDP growth, far more than expected, while other countries in the euro zone stagnated or sank deeper into recession. The gap could could fuel calls for Chancellor Angela Merkel to soften her stance on austerity. more...
While a savage civil war rages in Syria, nothing has been heard from Asma al-Assad, the British-born wife of President Bashar Assad. In a guest contribution, the wives of two United Nations ambassadors call on Asma to finally take a stand against the violence, arguing: "It is not too late for action." By Sheila Lyall Grant and Huberta von Voss-Wittig in New York more...
The center-left in Germany has emerged from Sunday's crucial state vote strengthened and newly confident after crushing Angela Merkel's conservatives. It is a clear defeat for the chancellor, but there are pitfalls ahead for the Social Democrats as well. An Analysis by Roland Nelles more...
Social Democrat Hannelore Kraft is the big winner in last Sunday's crucial state election in North Rhine-Westphalia. And she triumphed by taking a page from Chancellor Angela Merkel's playbook, German commentators say. The infusion of feminine politics could mark the country's political scene for years to come. more...
A foolhardy maneuver by the pilot may have led to the crash of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 in Indonesia last week. Hopes were high that the new passenger jet could revive Russia's aviation industry and the pilot wanted to do all he could to ensure success. By Matthias Schepp and Gerald Traufetter more... [ Forum ]
After Greek voters rejected austerity in last week's election, plunging the country into a political crisis, Europe has been searching for a Plan B for Greece. It's time to admit that the EU/IMF rescue plan has failed. Greece's best hopes now lie in a return to the drachma. By SPIEGEL Staff
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In a SPIEGEL interview, Hartmut Mehdorn, 69, CEO of Germany's second-largest airline Air Berlin, discusses how the surprise delay in opening the capital's new international airport will affect the company. He also describes widespread financial difficulties among airlines as an "industry crisis." more...
Germany is currently preparing an attempt to ban the far-right NPD party. But a German legal expert has warned that the bid may be blocked by the European Court of Human Rights, which has even higher hurdles to outlawing parties than Germany does. more...
Chancellor Angela Merkel has been weakened by the humiliating election defeat of her conservatives in the large state of North Rhine-Westphalia on Sunday. German media commentators say she will face a harder time securing backing for her austerity policy at home, at a time when resistance to it is building across Europe. more...
Germany's economy may be the strongest in Europe, but its large segment of working poor has failed to feel the positive effects of that prosperity. The country's lack of a minimum wage has been cited as one reason for their suffering, but that may soon change. By Kate Katharina Ferguson more...
In a SPIEGEL interview, Peter Bofinger, a prominent economic adviser to the German government, argues that the country could handle higher inflation. Rising prices in Europe's biggest economy could put crisis-stricken neighbors on the road to recovery, he says. more...
