SPIEGEL Interview With Gulf Ruler
Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa al Khalifa has called on Syrian President Bashar Assad to listen to his people. Hamad, who put down an uprising in his own country a year ago, told SPIEGEL that he regretted the events but had to intervene to stop the violence and protect women. more...
'Totally Cool'
In Germany, Jürgen Klinsmann's success as a football trainer was limited. But as the coach of the US national team, he can experiment as much as he likes. He wants his team to reflect America -- and he wants to win. Eventually. By Marc Hujer more...
Beyond Hollywood
Hindered in the festival's ability to draw star power, Dieter Kosslick, the head of the Berlin International Film Festival, is instead focusing on presenting new discoveries, including German films and the best from abroad. The biggest star in town this week is Angelina Jolie, but Kosslick is also set on creating new ones. By Andreas Borcholte more...
Islamist-Motivated Violence
It was the first successful Islamist attack in Germany. Almost a year ago, Arid U. shot and killed two US servicemen at Frankfurt's airport. On Friday, he was sentenced to life in prison. more...
From Dietrich to Tarantino
It's where Marlene Dietrich made her name, Fritz Lang created "Metropolis" and Quentin Tarantino and Roman Polanski sat in director's chairs. Studio Babelsberg, the world's first major film studio, turns 100 on Sunday. By Jess Smee more...
Is Portugal Next?
Many economic experts agree that Portugal may be the next Greece. On Thursday evening, a senior European official seemed to confirm such fears. German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble was caught on camera offering Portugal "adjustments" to its bailout program. more...
The World from Berlin
The European Union is demanding even greater sacrifices from Greece, despite the deal reached by politicians in Athens on Thursday. Facing more painful cuts, Greek citizens are back on the streets as resentment boils over. German commentators say it's time to finally face the truth. more... [ Forum ]
Insufficient Austerity
Greek political leaders announced on Thursday that they were bowing to all European Union austerity demands. But euro-zone finance ministers are skeptical, saying several details need to be clarified. Even if Athens ultimately receives a new bailout package, however, its debt problems will not be solved. By Carsten Volkery more...
Flaming Pictures
Is it acceptable to destroy cultural objects as if they were land mines? This is a question faced by archivists in Germany, where many of the country's historical films were shot on explosive nitrocellulose. A bitter fight has broken out in Germany over whether the film should be preserved or destroyed. By Hilmar Schmundt more...
US Disarmament Expert
Anxieties are mounting as nuclear weapons make their way into unstable regions. In a SPIEGEL ONLINE interview, US disarmament expert Richard Burt discusses the growing risk of their use, why allowing Iran to get the bomb could trigger a Sunni-Shiite arms race and how an attack could make citizens demand a police state. more...
Blurred Vision
Gerhard Richter, the world's most expensive living painter, turned 80 on Thursday, and Germany is paying tribute to its art superstar with a number of major exhibitions. Two shows in Berlin explore six decades of Richter's work, while an exhibition in Dresden gives a glimpse into the source material for the artist's trademark photo paintings. By Laura Hamdorf more...
The Road to Damascus
Germany has expelled four Syrian diplomats, apparently in connection with the arrest of two suspected Syrian spies earlier this week. German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle also called Thursday for a new attempt to reach a UN resolution on the ongoing violence in the country. more... [ Forum ]
The Curse
Cancer has struck nearly every household in Wewelsfleth, a village of 1,500 inhabitants in northwest Germany near the mouth of the Elbe River. Residents feel not only cursed, but also abandoned by authorities in their search for an elusive answer. By Hauke Goos more...
Greece Reaches Austerity Agreement
For days now, top politicians in Athens have been seeking to reach a deal on austerity measures required for a new multibillion euro bailout package. They ended the impasse on Thursday and it appears the country will agree to most of the stringent requirements laid out by the EU and IMF for additional aid. more...
Big Budget at the Berlinale
Chinese director Zhang Yimou was long considered a critic of his country's regime. Lately, though, he has focused on sumptuous period pieces -- and Beijing hopes his new film, "Flowers of War," will establish the country as a cultural world power. By Martin Wolf more...
The World from Berlin
German exports reached an all-time record in 2011, a development that may lead to increased criticism of its trade surplus, with many countries arguing it worsens global imbalances. Editorialists say the country's economy is already slowing and such criticism may be shortlived. more... [ Forum ]
Putin's Unruly Children
Russia's young people are growing up with more freedom than ever. Twenty years after the end of communism, the first post-Soviet generation is transforming the country -- whether the once and future president likes it or not. By Benjamin Bidder more...
Buying Germany's Hidden Champions
Concrete pump manufacturer Putzmeister is the first top-tier German company to be acquired by a Chinese company eager to get its hands on Western know-how, but it is unlikely to be the last. The acquisition could be the start of a new strategy as China tries to transform itself into a high-tech economy. And the Germans might even benefit too. By Nils Klawitter and Wieland Wagner more...
Railing against the 'Fourth Reich'
Nazi flags are hardly a rarity at Greek demonstrations these days. Anti-German tirades on primetime television have likewise become a staple. In Greece, a consensus has developed as to who is to blame for the country's economic misery. Age old stereotypes are flourishing. By Johannes Korge and Ferry Batzoglou more... [ Video ]
Hidden Hatred
An award-winning new German film takes an unexpected look at the problem of far-right extremism, following the fictional story of a young woman lost in a world of violence and hatred. The film, which has parallels to a recent neo-Nazi case in Germany, also serves as a wake-up call for some -- women are more prevalent in the radical scene than many believe. By Kristen Allen more... [ Forum ]
Revealing Conversation with German Diplomat
A newly declassified document from the German Foreign Ministry archive contains revealing new information about the failed 1981 coup in Spain. According to the report, Spanish King Juan Carlos apparently showed sympathy for the plotters in a private conversation with the German ambassador. By Klaus Wiegrefe and Helene Zuber more... [ Forum ]
The World from Berlin
Time is running out for the Greek government, which needs to reach a deal on unpopular austerity measures if it is to secure a second EU/IMF bailout. German commentators argue the country has already suffered enough, saying what are needed now are measures to stimulate growth. more... [ Forum ]
Drilling Beneath the Surface
A gold rush is underway in Poland, where international energy companies are scrambling for the right to drill for shale gas. Poland's government sees the extraction as a ticket to independence from Russia's Gazprom, but some residents near the drilling sites are wary of the risks. By Jens Mattern in Warsaw more... [ Forum ]
Azerbaijan's Eurovision
While the Azerbaijani government hopes to burnish its image by hosting the Eurovision Song Contest in May, civil rights activists are struggling to draw more attention to the country's human rights violations. Standing uncomfortably in the middle are the organizers of this supposedly "apolitical" event. By Stefan Niggemeier more...
Breaking Global Warming Taboos
Will reduced solar activity counteract global warming in the coming decades? That is what outgoing German electric utility executive Fritz Vahrenholt claims in a new book. In an interview with SPIEGEL, he argues that the official United Nations forecasts on the severity of climate change are overstated and supported by weak science. more...
