German News

Annalena Baerbock of the Green Party is slated to become Germany's first female foreign minister. She spoke to DER SPIEGEL about the policy challenges the country faces abroad and the more immediate crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic. from DER SPIEGEL - International https://ift.tt/3d5mY4F via IFTTT

Christian Lindner is set to become Germany's next finance minister. In an interview with DER SPIEGEL, he talks about his plans for his portfolio, how he intends to pay for them and the new government's strategy for the ongoing pandemic. from DER SPIEGEL - International https://ift.tt/3o6XwCr via IFTTT

The coalition talks were secretive and the three parties involved sought to exude unity and harmony. Now that Germany's next coalition agreement has been presented, though, fractures are becoming apparent. And surprisingly, the Greens may not be the Social Democrats' favorite child. from DER SPIEGEL - International https://ift.tt/3FRvEIg via IFTTT

The only surviving attacker from the terror commando that descended on Paris on the night of Nov. 13, 2015, is currently on trial. The young man used to like going out, drinking alcohol and smoking joints. What happened? from DER SPIEGEL - International https://ift.tt/2ZnWXdR via IFTTT

A lira in freefall and skyrocketing prices: Turkey's economy is in poor shape and much of the population is suffering. President Erdoğan's weak response is strengthening the opposition and fueling speculation that elections may be held sooner than planned. from DER SPIEGEL - International https://ift.tt/3FPNjjt via IFTTT

With thousands of migrants trying to cross into the country from neighboring Belarus, Podlasie, Poland, has become the epicenter of an international crisis. The development is dividing locals, with some doing what they can to help the refugees and others doing all they can to keep them out. from DER SPIEGEL - International https://ift.tt/3CLuBaM via IFTTT

Doctors and nurses at the intensive care ward in Leipzig University Hospital are fighting desperately to save the lives of corona truthers. It can be a thankless task. from DER SPIEGEL - International https://ift.tt/3FzVMqS via IFTTT

The number of coronavirus infections is rising sharply in parts of Germany where the far-right AfD party enjoys greater support. Is it a coincidence? Researchers took a close look at the corollaries and drew some conclusions that surprised even them. from DER SPIEGEL - International https://ift.tt/3nvfEWe via IFTTT

Insiders reveal fresh details about Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko's inhumane smuggling system, comprised of a network of front companies that spreads to Syria, Turkey and Iraq, secret money transfers and the use of soldiers as traffickers. from DER SPIEGEL - International https://ift.tt/3wWp6Vw via IFTTT

The way we eat is destroying the world, says agricultural economist Yon Fernández de Larrinoa. His research focuses on the food systems of indigenous peoples, and believes they can teach us valuable lessons. from DER SPIEGEL - International https://ift.tt/3Fmgo64 via IFTTT

For close to 25 years, EU member states have been trying to put a stop to practices in the bloc that see some European countries competing against others to offer the lowest corporate taxes. In an interview, Dutch researcher Martijn Nouwen explains why those efforts have failed. from DER SPIEGEL - International https://ift.tt/3HqImiG via IFTTT

The rainforest of the Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the world’s most important ecosystems. But international timber firms are logging trees there illegally. Locals are starting to fight back, with some success. from DER SPIEGEL - International https://ift.tt/3qEBFDK via IFTTT

Many in Germany thought the worst of the pandemic was behind them. But the country is now being slammed by the fourth wave – fueled by millions of people who refuse to be vaccinated and political leaders who have abdicated leadership. The situation, say virologists, is grave. from DER SPIEGEL - International https://ift.tt/3wHzAbf via IFTTT

Many EU member states use low tax rates to attract large corporations, depriving countries like Germany of billions in revenues. A trove of hundreds of classified documents now reveals for the first time how Europe is failing in the fight against harmful tax competition. from DER SPIEGEL - International https://ift.tt/3n6yrH0 via IFTTT

Each month, the European Commission deletes thousands of emails, and instant messages are not archived at all. Now, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is, once again, facing uncomfortable questions about allegedly deleted text messages. An expert describes the practices as legally "questionable". from DER SPIEGEL - International https://ift.tt/3Fay9VP via IFTTT

In Romania, where conspiracy theories and warnings from the Orthodox Church are fueling uncertainties, 65 percent of the population hasn't yet been vaccinated against COVID-19. Why hasn't the government been able to get a handle on the situation? from DER SPIEGEL - International https://ift.tt/3bZqTj0 via IFTTT

South Sudan declared independence 10 years ago – only to descend into civil war. Now, young rappers, bands and dance troupes are hoping that music can help bring the country together. from DER SPIEGEL - International https://ift.tt/3qkO2F4 via IFTTT

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune recently closed his country's airspace to France out of anger at a comment from Emmanuel Macron. DER SPIEGEL spoke with Tebboune about the diplomatic fracas, his country's path to modernization and why journalists are still being locked up in Algeria. from DER SPIEGEL - International https://ift.tt/3wqPOpa via IFTTT

Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko is luring refugees from the Middle East to his country with the promise they will be allowed to seek asylum in Germany. But the borders are closed and thousands of people seeking protection are now stranded in Minsk. from DER SPIEGEL - International https://ift.tt/3bVqbDu via IFTTT

It is the most CO2 intensive of all fuels and yet consumption of it is rising dramatically, regardless of the climate crisis. We’re burning coal like there is no tomorrow. Why is it proving so difficult to phase out? from DER SPIEGEL - International https://ift.tt/3EVGOv7 via IFTTT

Getting three political parties to agree on anything is tough. In Germany, with coalition negotiations dragging on, that is proving especially true. A look at the differences of opinion within the foreign policy working group highlights the challenges that lay ahead. from DER SPIEGEL - International https://ift.tt/3wkuWjk via IFTTT

The poor South is being exploited so that the rich North can transition to environmental sustainability. Entire swaths of land are being destroyed to secure the resources needed to produce wind turbines and solar cells. Are there alternatives? from DER SPIEGEL - International https://ift.tt/3bHPcli via IFTTT

Months of reporting has revealed the violent – and illegal – brutality the EU is deploying at its external borders to ward off migrants. Those few refugees who make it through describe beatings, harassment and abasement. Yet there are examples of what a humane migration policy could look like. from DER SPIEGEL - International https://ift.tt/3GMPupC via IFTTT

The case of Osman Kavala is causing strife between Turkey and the West. In an interview with DER SPIEGEL, the imprisoned patron of the arts talks about the government's conspiracy theories – and his hope that he will be released early. from DER SPIEGEL - International https://ift.tt/3w7Mtv5 via IFTTT

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde has now been on the job for two years. Thus far, her term has been plagued by the COVID-19 crisis. But soon, says central bank expert David Marsh, she will have to start transitioning to normalcy. What, though, might that look like? from DER SPIEGEL - International https://ift.tt/3CDnMc5 via IFTTT