The European Central Bank cut interest rates on Thursday to a record low of 0.5 percent in an effort to combat the deepening recession across the euro zone. more... [ Forum ]
In symbolic protest of growing anti-Semitism in Hungary, the World Jewish Congress will meet in Budapest this weekend. This has angered Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who plans to address the assembly about the criticism. But no amount of talk can erase the fact that right-wing extremism is on the rise there. By Keno Verseck more... [ Forum ]
Cricket world champion and former playboy Imran Khan found his way to Islam through a mystic. Now he wants to become Pakistan's prime minister and free his country of corruption and the Americans. By Susanne Koelbl more... [ Forum ]
FC Bayern Munich already holds this year's German league title, and its drubbing of FC Barcelona puts the European championship just a match away. What makes this year's team so much more dominant than all its other star-studded predecessors? By Sara Peschke in Barcelona more... [ Forum ]
A flourishing garden gnome industry spared an entire region around the town of Nowa Sól in western Poland from economic ruin. With the decorations now out of style, the industry is branching out to plastic tigers, dinosaurs and even churros. By Jan Puhl more... [ Forum ]
Russia's successful Facebook clone VKontakte has long been a thorn in the Kremlin's side. Now, Moscow appears to be increasing pressure on the company, and CEO Pavel Durov has left the country. By Benjamin Bidder more... [ Forum ]
The parliamentary leader of Chancellor Angela Merkel's junior coalition partner, the Free Democrats (FDP), and a former German economics minister publicly criticized the French government under Socialist President François Hollande Thursday, saying France is not a model for Germany. more...
Uli Hoeness, the president of 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 ]
Progress in the European Union is stalled at the moment because France and Germany can't get along. Paris is hoping for a change of government in Berlin after elections this fall, but even that would do little to bridge growing differences between the countries. 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 ]
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 ]
