DER SPIEGEL - International

Germany's Chancellor Faces Balancing Act on China Trip (Sa, 13 Apr 2024)
The German government wants to become less dependent on China and pay less attention to profits and more to human rights – at least In principle. But there won't be many signs of that during Chancellor Olaf Scholz's upcoming trip to the country. A DER SPIEGEL analysis.
>> mehr lesen

The Resurrection of Fire-Ravaged Cathedral Brings France Together in Unexpected Ways (Thu, 11 Apr 2024)
Five years after the fire at Notre-Dame, the iconic cathedral in Paris now has a roof and a tower again. The reconstruction is almost complete in what is no less than a national tour de force that has led to rare unity in a divided republic.
>> mehr lesen

Germany's Dilemma: Berlin's Support for Israel Is Damaging Its International Standing (Fri, 05 Apr 2024)
Criticism of Israel's military operation in the Gaza Strip is growing in Germany and around the world. Because of the country's solidarity with Israel, Berlin is losing is diplomatic stature elsewhere. What can be done?
>> mehr lesen

Interview with Former Russian Central Bank Advisor: "It's Time To Slowly Bleed Russia's Economy Dry" (Wed, 03 Apr 2024)
When Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, Alexandra Prokopenko quit her job at the Russian Central Bank. In an interview, she explains why the Russian president's economic policy is so successful. And what the West could do that would really harm the Kremlin.
>> mehr lesen

Cash's Last Stand: Germans Finally Warm to Digital Payments (Tue, 02 Apr 2024)
The Germans have long been known for their love of notes and coins. Businesses, however, are slowly moving away from cash. Younger people prefer to pay by app, and the European Central Bank is also contemplating a digital euro.
>> mehr lesen

Electric Shock: An Existential Crisis in the German Auto Industry (Wed, 27 Mar 2024)
Electric cars are selling poorly, and many German manufacturers are still focusing on the combustion engine. The threat from cheaper Chinese competitors is growing. Might this be the death knell of Germany's fabled automobile industry?
>> mehr lesen

Iraqi Marshlands Under Threat: The Garden of Eden Dries Up (Fri, 22 Mar 2024)
Some say the Garden of Eden was located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in present-day Iraq. Now, the wetlands there are drying up. The man fighting to save the marshes is risking his life to do so.
>> mehr lesen

Sri Lanka: Dhanush, Udeni and the State Bankruptcy (Tue, 19 Mar 2024)
The biggest humanitarian crisis in decades is raging in the Global South. Around 50 countries are nearing bankruptcy, and 165 million people have fallen into poverty. The story of a brother and sister who have lost almost everything. Except each other.
>> mehr lesen

Israel Six Months Later: The Wrenching Decision to Return to the Site of Horror (Tue, 19 Mar 2024)
The first survivors of the Hamas massacre have returned to Kfar Aza, where almost ten percent of the population were either murdered or abducted. It is a changed place, and the community is fractured.
>> mehr lesen

The Election Farce in Russia: Putin's Elaborate Effort To Make His Re-Election Look Legitimate (Fri, 15 Mar 2024)
Russia's democracy may be dead, but the regime is sparing neither effort nor expense in staging the presidential election. Large voter turnout is supposed to give Putin's rule the appearance of legitimacy.
>> mehr lesen

Language Tests and Deportations: Latvia Tightens the Screws on Its Russian Minority (Thu, 14 Mar 2024)
Around 30 percent of the Latvian population are Russian speakers. The government believes they could provide Vladimir Putin with a bridgehead into the country. The atmosphere is growing tense.
>> mehr lesen

Enemy and Helper: Is Hamas Exploiting the UN's Palestinian Relief Organization? (Thu, 14 Mar 2024)
UNRWA employees are alleged to have participated in the October 7 terror attack against Israel. Is there any truth to the allegations? And what happens to the Gaza Strip if the most important humanitarian relief organization is abolished in the middle of the war?
>> mehr lesen

Filling the Gap: Germany Seeks to Ramp Up Skilled Labor Migration from Kenya (Wed, 13 Mar 2024)
German cities are suffering from a shortage of bus drivers, and local transportation companies are looking all the way to the shores of Lake Victoria to find what they need. They aren't the only Kenyans in high demand in Germany at the moment.
>> mehr lesen

Jan Marsalek an Agent for Russia? The Double Life of the former Wirecard Executive (Tue, 05 Mar 2024)
Since the collapse of Wirecard, Jan Marsalek has been on the run and is one of the most wanted men in the world. A DER SPIEGEL investigation has revealed how he went underground and that he's a Russian spy.
>> mehr lesen

The Russian Invasion - A Visit to the Ukrainian Troops in the Trenches on the Front (Thu, 29 Feb 2024)
Kyiv's soldiers have been fighting under the most difficult of conditions for two years. They are running out of ammunition and replacement troops are few. Many are no longer capable of imagining normal life. A visit to the front.
>> mehr lesen

The Marseille Experiment: Macron Attempts to Save a City Rocked by Drug Violence (Tue, 27 Feb 2024)
Almost 50 people have recently died in drug-related violence in Marseille – even as ever more people are moving there. The government is investing billions in the city, but can it still be saved?
>> mehr lesen

How Vladimir Putin Controls the Russians: Everyday Repression and Resignation (Mon, 26 Feb 2024)
Russia has reverted to a dictatorship under President Vladimir Putin. Most people in the country seem to be accepting the war against Ukraine as well as the death of opposition activist Alexei Navalny. Why?
>> mehr lesen

A Visit to the Swamp: The Town Made Famous by Neo-Nazi Students (Wed, 21 Feb 2024)
An open letter about Hitler salutes in the schoolyard and swastikas on the benches of a school in the municipality of Burg made nationwide headlines in Germany. But is the place really a hotbed of right-wing extremism? We went to find out.
>> mehr lesen

Indonesia's Brand New Capital: A Mega-Project Raises Questions in Borneo (Tue, 20 Feb 2024)
Indonesia is building a brand new capital city in the jungles of Borneo. Critics say it's a waste of money and will continue rampant environmental destruction. But might it perhaps become a model city one day?
>> mehr lesen

MLS: Is Lionel Messi the Turning Point for American Soccer? (Mon, 19 Feb 2024)
Lionel Messi has proven to be a major draw for Inter Miami and the U.S. professional soccer league MLS. The Americans are pinning all their hopes on the superstar footballer, but he is getting older and a recent summer tour turned out to be a disaster.
>> mehr lesen