NewsTrust - All Rated Stories

Sea Level Could Rise in South, Fall in North

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Der Spiegel - By Gerald Traufetter - Dec. 02 (News Analysis) - Climate change is expected to cause sea levels to rise -- at least in some parts of the world. Elsewhere, the level of the ocean will actually fall. Scientists are trying to get a better picture of the complex phenomenon, which also depends on a host of natural factors.

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A Superpower's View of the World

Sun, 28 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Der Spiegel - Nov. 28 (News Analysis) - 251,000 State Department documents, many of them secret embassy reports from around the world, show how the US seeks to safeguard its influence around the world. It is nothing short of a political meltdown for US foreign policy.

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Villagers Defend Kosovar Refugee: A Roma Teen's Fight to Stay in Germany

Fri, 05 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Der Spiegel - By Antje Windmann - Nov. 05 (Special Report) - Elvis Berishaj didn't want to make this journey into the past. He was afraid, even, to come here. But this is his only chance to be allowed to live in Germany. Approximately 12,000 Kosovar Roma are facing deportation in Germany, nearly half of them under the age of 18. The German government and the Republic of Kosovo signed an agreement this April regulating, among other things, the return of civil war refugees to the Balkan state. Amnesty International has criticized the treaty, saying that more than 90 percent of Roma in Kosovo are unemployed, that their access to education and healthcare is restricted and that most of them live in camps outside the cities.

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European Dream of Desert Energy Takes Shape

Thu, 27 May 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Der Spiegel - By Cordula Meyer - May. 27 (Special Report) - The solar towers at the Solúcar plant, which is owned by the Spanish Abengoa group, are the most futuristic system the solar industry can offer today. Scientists love this technology, because it is capable of converting so much solar heat into electricity. Solúcar is a prototype of sorts for Desertec, the 21st century's energy production mega-project. The bold concept is designed to provide Europe with clean, renewable energy in the form of solar power from the Sahara. It has the capacity to avert the energy crisis and stop climate change, while simultaneously combating poverty in Africa.

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Revenge of the Rating Agencies

Sun, 02 May 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Der Spiegel - By Marc Pitzke - May. 02 (News Analysis) - Many observers assign a large part of the blame for the 2008 financial crisis to the "big three" credit rating agencies, which gave their AAA seal of approval to worthless investments. Now those same agencies are helping to bring the euro zone to its knees -- and no one is trying to stop them.

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German Tourists Cringe at Hitler's Popularity in Pakistan

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Der Spiegel - By Hasnain Kazim - Mar. 18 (Opinion) - Germans are popular in India and Pakistan, but not always for the right reasons. Many in South Asia have nothing but admiration for Adolf Hitler and still associate Germany with the Third Reich. Everyday encounters with the love of all things Nazi makes German visitors cringe.

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‘America Must Tread Carefully in Haiti’

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Der Spiegel - Jan. 19 (News Analysis) - UN chief Ban Ki-moon has appealed for patience as anger mounts in Haiti over the tardiness of the relief effort and aid groups criticize the US management of the airport. Yet most German papers argue that the superpower is vital in helping the devastated country recover from the disaster.

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Decentralizing Electricity: The Coming Energy Revolution

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Der Spiegel - By Stefan Schultz - Oct. 16 (Special Report) - Electric cars, intelligent washing machines, mini power plants in your basement: Germany is on the verge of an energy revolution. SPIEGEL ONLINE looks at the latest developments in the smart grid and how it will change the relationship between consumers and energy suppliers.

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What Are The Obama Administration's Options?

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Der Spiegel - By Jane Sasseen - Jan. 29 (News Analysis) - The President's economic advisers believe it is time to hit the reset button on existing bailout programs, and think big. There's no choice given the deepening recession that's driving up jobless rates and home and credit-card defaults. All that in turn is contributing to multibillion-dollar quarterly losses at the likes of Citigroup and Bank of America. "Bad Bank" Could Cost $2 Trillion

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A "Green Tsunami" in Brazil: The High Price of Clean, Cheap Ethanol

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Der Spiegel - By Clemens Hoeges - Jan. 22 (News Report) - Brazil hopes to supply drivers worldwide with the fuel of the future -- cheap ethanol derived from sugarcane. It is considered an effective antidote to climate change, but hundreds of thousands of Brazilian plantation workers harvest the cane at slave wages.

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'Why Can't Guantanamo's Inmates Stay in America?'

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Der Spiegel - Jan. 22 (News Analysis) - Since December, when President-elect Obama extened an olive branch to irritated European allies and asked them to absorb some of these prisoners -- on the condition that America would, too -- a debate has simmered in Germany. Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in January that Munich might be a reasonable place for 17 Chinese Uighur minority prisoners to settle, since Munich has the largest Chinese Muslim community outside China. But a conservative rival, Interior Minister Wolfgang Schäuble, says the prisoners are America's problem -- any Guantanamo inmates who can't go home "out of human rights considerations" will simply "need to remain in the United States."

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Fast-Forward Warming: Point of No Return for the Arctic Climate?

Sat, 06 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Der Spiegel - By Volker Mrasek - Dec. 06 (Special Report) - Temperatures in the Arctic are rising much faster than elsewhere in the world. Researchers now say it may be the result of a dramatic shift in global climate patterns. If they are right, ice at the North Pole may soon be a thing of the past.

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America, Land of Extremes: An Enigmatic Country Elects a New President

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Der Spiegel - By Gerhard Spörl - Oct. 31 (Opinion) - Some find America fascinating, others abhor it, but virtually no one feels indifferent about the superpower. For months, the question of who will become the next president has riveted people around the globe. He will inherit responsibility for a country whose global reputation is battered.

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Russia's Strategy: 'What's Looming in Ukraine Is more Threatening than Georgia'

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Der Spiegel - By Uwe Klussmann, Matthias Schepp - Oct. 16 (Interview) - In an interview, Kremlin-aligned political strategist Vyacheslav Nikonov argues that the recent war in South Ossetia and bickering over Ukraine doesn't mean Moscow is steering into a confrontation course. But if Kiev entered NATO, he says it would spell the end of Russian cooperation with the West.

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Gordon Brown Saves the Banks and Himself

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Der Spiegel - By Sebastian Borger - Oct. 14 (News Analysis) - The success of Brown's plan has little to do with his powers of foresight -- it's due, rather, to a combination of good timing, the British system of government and the weaknesses of Europe's common institutions. First, Brown had the luxury of letting the Americans act first and he learned some important lessons from the failure of the original Paulson plan. Second, Britain's "elected dictatorship" allows the prime minister to act quickly without formally involving parliament, much less the opposition. Tactically, it makes sense that Tory chief David Cameron offered a truce for the duration of the financial crisis, but Brown never needed his assent. His "national" economic council is solely comprised of Labour ministers and civil servants. Thirdly, Brown benefited from the fact that the members of the Euro-zone didn't recognize the gravity of the situation quickly enough -- or, like France's President Nicolas Sarkozy, they wanted the British involved from the start.

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Money Grows on Trees: Deforestation Costs More than Financial Crisis

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Der Spiegel - Oct. 10 (Special Report) - Sukhdev and his team, which has been compared to the high-profile Stern Review into the economics of climate change, concluded that forest decline costs about 7 percent of global GDP. They are now working on a second phase of their study, this time probing the value of other natural systems. The picture they are painting is bleak. Firmly entrenched global trends like population growth, changing diets, urbanization and climate change are all taking a toll on biodiversity.

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Capitalism in Crisis: The Broken Pact with the People

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Der Spiegel - By Dirk Kurbjuweit - Oct. 08 (Special Report) - In the German press, the word "American" became shorthand for greed. Many managers demanded “American” salaries of over $10 million (€7.25 million) a year. They targeted “American” earnings for their companies. Ackermann aimed for profits of 25 percent. German savers were recommended to take an “American” approach to their investments. Saving accounts and government bonds were passé and investing and gambling with stocks was all the rage because it held out the promise of higher returns. German business practices were frowned upon as conservative and narrow-minded. Sexy investments required a no-holds-barred attitude and a willingness to play the markets and take risks. Let’s be like Americans -- that was the guiding principle for German banks and top company executives. They gleefully played along with what was done on the other side of the Atlantic. Not surprisingly, they also purchased those wonderful securities that had something to do with American homeowners and promised such rewarding returns.

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Bailout Beat Goes On: Europe Faces Banking Crisis of Its Own

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Der Spiegel - By Mark Scott - Oct. 07 (News Analysis) - Perhaps it's time, he and other analysts say, for a more EU-wide approach to solving what is quickly becoming a pan-European problem. But with no central financial regulator in Europe, and a tendency by local politicians to focus on domestic financial and economic issues, any such solution is unlikely soon. The resulting irony could be that even though Old World institutions engaged in less of the risky lending that pulled down so many American counterparts, a European banking recovery could take even longer.

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No EU Bailout: Europe Bids Adieu to Common Financial Crisis Approach

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Der Spiegel - Oct. 03 (News Analysis) - The idea of an EU rescue fund was apparently first proposed by the Netherlands and supported initially by France. Germany, however, quickly voiced its disapproval and on Thursday, French President Nicolas Sarkozy pulled the plug. "I deny the sum and the principle (of the proposed rescue scheme)," he said.

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'The Tenure of Coalition Troops in Iraq Should Be Limited'

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Der Spiegel - By Nouri al-Maliki: - Jul. 19 (Interview) - We do not judge our partners on the basis of whether or not they were militarily involved in toppling Saddam. The decisions back then corresponded to the national will of the countries, and we respect that.... We want to get to know... [the German companies] and we want to know what they want -- and the things they fear when thinking about Iraq. We have to start over again in many areas, including oil production, the development of the power grid and all industries. There is much to be done.

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'As Soon as Possible'

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Der Spiegel - Jul. 19 (News Report) - Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki supports US presidential candidate Barack Obama's plan to withdraw US troops from Iraq within 16 months. When asked in and interview with SPIEGEL when he thinks US troops should leave Iraq, Maliki responded "as soon as possible, as far as we are concerned." He then continued: "US presidential candidate Barack Obama talks about 16 months. That, we think, would be the right timeframe for a withdrawal, with the possibility of slight changes." "US presidential candidate Barack Obama talks about 16 months. That, we think, would be the right timeframe for a withdrawal, with the possibility of slight changes."

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Germans Hope for a New America: Will Berlin's Lovefest with Obama be Shortlived?

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Der Spiegel - By Ralf Beste, Konstantin von Hammerstein - Jun. 09 (News Report) - The dream goes something like this: What if just a small fragment of the American presidential election primary were to spill over into Germany? The enthusiasm, for example, and the vitality, energy and drama that the world's oldest democracy has presented to the global public for months? And what if German politicians would exude just a smidgen of the youthfulness and spirit of optimism that Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate, seems to have in abundance?

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Harnessing the Saharan Sun: Is Desert Solar Power the Solution to Europe's Energy Crisis?

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Der Spiegel - By By Jens Lubbadeh - Apr. 30 (News Report) - A tiny fraction of the sun's energy that shines upon the deserts of North Africa and the Middle East could meet all of Europe's electricity demands. The technology to harness the energy already exists. So why is hardly anyone investing in it?

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Germany Watches Clinton Fight for Survival

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Der Spiegel - Feb. 14 (News Report) - Germans are following this election closely and on Thursday German commentators see things looking good for Obama. This doesn't seem to bother them much, but they fear Hillary won't go down easy and might bruise Obama before the main event: the election. They're also concerned about how Hillary might handle defeat.

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The End of the Obama Revolution

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Der Spiegel - By Gabor Steingart - Jan. 22 (News Analysis) - The euphoria is gone, the friendly fire has started: Barack Obama is suddenly looking less like a superstar and more like just another candidate. His message isn't hitting home with the three most important groups of voters: women, older Americans and blue-collar workers.

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