Midtown Blogger/Manhattan Valley Follies: Germany- Der Spiegel

The Merkel Effect: What Today's Germany Owes to Its Once-Communist East

REUTERS

East Germany ceased to exist following the 1989 revolution and the fall of the Berlin Wall. But did the former communist country help shape today's Germany? The answer is yes, and Chancellor Merkel is a big reason why. By Dirk Kurbjuweit more... [ Comment ]

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Under the Scope

Announcement to Our Readers

SPIEGEL International in 2014: A Note from the Editors

The Sand Thieves World's Beaches Become Victims of Construction Boom

Sand is becoming so scarce that stealing it has become an attractive business model. With residential towers rising ever higher and development continuing apace in Asia and Africa, demand for the finite resource is insatiable. By Laura Höflinger more... [ Comment ]

Photo Gallery: 'Sand Is Rarer than One Thinks'

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Bridge to Nowhere Are EU Subsidies for Andalusia Well Spent?

No other region in Spain receives as much European Union funding as Andalusia. But do the projects being funded make sense? Questions are mounting about the efficacy of the subsidies -- and about their potential for feeding corruption. By Christoph Pauly more... [ Comment ]

Yesterday at 04:07 AM from mervynsullivan: Well, it is good to know that the EU has that much money to distribute for the such purposes. But... more...

The Road to Bamiyan A Public Works Debacle that Defines Afghanistan

It was to be a symbol of reconstructed Afghanistan: a paved highway from Kabul to the beautiful valley of Bamiyan. Construction has long been underway, but the project may never be completed -- a victim of the realities in present-day Afghanistan. By Jochen-Martin Gutsch more... [ Comment ]

Photo Gallery: A Strip of Asphalt in Afghanistan

09/30/2014 from stuartstein: Hardly anyone would be surprised by the state of affairs depicted in this article. Is it not... more...

Germany's Disarmed Forces Ramshackle Military at Odds with Global Aspirations

Germany wants to strengthen its role in international affairs. But recent reports suggest the country's weapons systems are in such disrepair that Berlin actually has very little to offer its partners. By SPIEGEL Staff more... [ Comment ]

Photo Gallery: Out of Commission

Yesterday at 10:47 AM from Inglenda2: Why does Germany need an army at all, it is supposedly surrounded by friendly countries? More... more...

The Caliphate Next Door Turkey Faces Up to its Islamic State Problem

For years, Ankara has been tolerating the rise of the extremist Islamic State. But now that the jihadists are conquering regions just across the border in northern Syria, concern is growing that Islamist terror could threaten Turkey too. By Katrin Elger, Hasnain Kazim, Christoph Reuter and Holger Stark more... [ Comment ]

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Finnish Prime Minister 'Moscow Is Provoking a Number of Its Neighbors'

In an interview, Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb, 46, discusses relations with neighboring Russia and his country's flirtation with NATO. He says Finland will make a decision "without asking for permission." Interview Conducted by Dieter Bednarz more... [ Comment ]

09/30/2014 from turnipseed: Even if Putin wants to recreate the old Soviet Empire that does not include Finland which was lost... more...

Interview with Ebola Discoverer Peter Piot 'It Is What People Call a Perfect Storm'

Almost four decades ago, Peter Piot was part of the team that discovered the Ebola virus. In a SPIEGEL interview, he describes how the disease was isolated and explains why the current outbreak is different than any that have come before. Interview Conducted by Rafaela von Bredow and Veronika Hackenbroch more... [ Comment ]

Photo Gallery: A Growing Epidemic

09/29/2014 from mishoj: Very well done....this interview has answered many questions - My own thoughts about the outbreak... more...

A Voice for the Dead Recovering the Lost History of Sobibór

Henchman with the Nazi SS sought to cover up the mass murder that occurred at the Sobibór concentration camp in eastern Poland. Archeologists recently uncovered the site's hidden gas chambers and important artifacts that shed light on the victims. By Claus Hecking more... [ Video ]

Interview with a Sobibór Survivor 'The Best Moment of My Life'

In an interview, 84 year old Sobibór survivor Philip Bialowitz discusses the importance of the recent discovery of the death camp's gas chambers and his risky escape from the Nazis in 1943. Interview Conducted By Claus Hecking more... [ Video | Comment ]