America’s biggest insider case is starting to spread, snaring some of Wall Street’s bluest-of-blue-blood banks in its web. Explosive claims are emerging, including disclosures on the dodgy trading of the Galleon hedge fund.
Germany
Downing Street plots to buy Blair’s way into the EU Presidency
British PM Gordon Brown is planning to buy off Angela Merkel and Nikolas Sarkozy’s votes for the European Union Presidency by offering them big jobs within the Union should Tony Blair get up.
Lessons from a new German government
The recent Germany elections have provided a few lessons that Australia could learn. For example, a coalition should be a post-election decision, not a permanent state of affairs.
Germans vote peacefully, but not quite contentedly
The results of the German election indicate Germans are dissatisfied with what they have been offered for so long, and in their calm, orderly way, are saying they would like to try something a bit different.
SPD smashed at German ballot box
Chancellor Angela Merkel’s dour triumph at the German polls says more about her hapless opposition, writes Humbolt University’s Charles McPhedran.
No winds of change in Germany, just storm clouds slowly gathering
It’s German elections time! With a fairly robust economy but unfairly distributed wealth, it’s a murky political mood in Germany. The Economist examines a country not pining for change, just stability.
Merkel looks for a narrower coalition
Germany votes on Sunday, with Christian Democrat chancellor Angela Merkel an unbackable favourite to be returned. But will the liberals distance themselves from the parties of the traditional left?
How a picnic brought down the Berlin Wall
On 19 August, 1989, 700 East Germans walked freely across their Soviet-controlled borders and into Hungary for some good food, wine and a spot of political revolution.
Germany’s elections: more duet than duel
In a fortnight, Germans are heading to the polls in a rather odd election: the candidates have been governing together for four years in coalition.
REVEALED: Thatcher feared the fall of the Wall
Documents smuggled out of the Kremlin have revealed details of a secret meeting between Margaret Thatcher and Mikhail Gorbachev in 1989, where the Iron Lady stated plainly that Britain did not want Germany to be reunited.
V for victory in US economic recovery, Europe not looking so peaceful
Conventional economic wisdom is wrong, writes Anatole Kaletsky. The US economy will probably recover fairly quickly from the GFC, while Europe is likely to incur permanent damage to its economies.
Video of the Day: Sand, fingers and the German invasion of Ukraine
Watch out Adam Elliot! Using fingers, sand and some clever religious imagery, this contestant on Ukraine’s Got Talent manages to bring half of the audience to tears with her sand animation of Germany’s invasion of Ukraine. CGI now seems a little passé.
Guy Rundle: Inglourious basterd Scheungraber captured. Hooray?
Germany has captured another Nazi war criminal: Josef Scheungraber, 90, has been sentenced to life imprisonment. It’s undoubtedly right and proper to bring justice to these war crimes, says Guy Rundle — but only if justice is actually possible.
Political snippets: A rising toughness from the RSPCA
Richard Farmer says the RSPCA is getting tough on live sheep exports, Angela Merkel is getting her baps out, and he’s joining Twitter.
The Porsche family feud ends in tears
Volkswagen’s decision to purchase all of Porsche has put an end to the takeover drama that has gripped the gossipy German business community.
Nazi garden gnome goes on trial
German prosecutors must decide whether a sculpture in a Nuremberg art gallery of a garden gnome performing a Hitler salute contravenes German law. Is it ridiculing or glorifying the gesture?
Hate speech, the hijab and western media
Despite the gruesome nature of Marwa el-Sherbini’s murder in a German courtroom by her neighbour, the western media have shied away from telling her story.
Gloom wrap: quarter ends on a sober note
There’s not much good news about. Glenn Dyer wraps all the gloomy and doomy economic news from around the globe.
Germany rivals Japan for worst economy status
One failure, one bailout — it’s business as usual in Germany, which is emerging as the most stricken of all the major global economies by the credit crunch and recession, writes Glenn Dyer.
Germany approves heroin assisted treatment — should we?
Dr Alex Wodak reports on the implications of Germany’s recent decision to allow heroin assisted treatment.
Photo essay: the problem with printing money
After World War I, Germany started printing money to try and climb out of financial trouble. Here’s what the result looked like at ground level.
Hezbollah: Der Spiegel is conspiring with Israel
Political group and terrorist organisation Hezbollah has accused German magazine Der Spiegel of conspiring with Israel against them in an attempt to influence the upcoming elections in Lebanon.
Achtung! Germany an economic basket case
The world’s 4th biggest economy is heading rapidly towards the bottom of current economic performance, writes Glenn Dyer.
Mayday! Mayday! Berlin’s Left implodes
And so it comes around again, the tiresome ritual of rocks and bottles, batons and boots. Ben Gook reports from the Berlin barricades.
Germany: worst banking system ever
Most German banks are either broke or on life support.
