Topic: Germany

Top galleries, list articles, quizzes

Where gas prices are highest

Gasoline is a very visible price, and closely watched by many drivers. Petroleum prices impact many products, from food to industrial production. While the cost of crude is the major factor in gasoline price volatility, some countries levy taxes on fossil fuels. Here are ten countries where high gas prices are the norm, according to British insurance firm Staveley Head.
Seven retirement questions you need to answer

Retirement planning isn't easy. Nearly half of Americans don't feel financially prepared to live to age 75, according to a survey from Northwestern Mutual. But the process is a lot less burdensome if you break the task down into simpler parts. Here are seven questions to ask as you plan for your long-term financial security in retirement.
Briefing
Gay marriage laws around the globe

There is no national gay marriage legislation in the pipeline in the US, however, numerous countries around the globe already recognize same-sex marriage or the right to civil unions. Here’s the breakdown by region.
Hollande's victory: The world ponders a major shift

François Hollande's victory may represent change for not just France, but Europe as a whole.
5 great mystery novels

Here are the five mystery novels that made the cut for the 2012 Edgar Awards.

All Content

Robert Reich
US wages and Europe's austerity: the perfect storm

What if Europe and the US converged on a set of economic policies that brought out the worst in both – European fiscal austerity combined with a declining share of total income going to workers? Given political realities on both sides of the Atlantic, it is entirely possible.
Sell in May and go away: Stocks close dismal month

With a disappointing finish on Thursday, the stock market closed what was by some measures its worst month in two years. The Dow closed down 26 points on Thursday to end the month at 12393.
Military intervention in Syria? Germany pushes back hard on French warning.

French President Hollande suggested yesterday that military intervention might be required in Syria. Why that idea resonated particularly negatively in Germany.
Bruce Springsteen blasts bankers in Berlin concert

The Boss goes off on "greedy thieves" and "robber barons" in fluent German during his Berlin concert. Bruce Springsteen returned to Berlin, where he played a July 1988 concert behind the old Iron Curtain in East Berlin.
Latin America Monitor
The Brazilian inspiration behind the US immigration DREAM Act

DREAMers know how to survive amid great obstacles, says Brazilian-born Tereza Lee in an interview with a guest blogger. The DREAM Act was reintroduced in Congress last year.
Greeks shrug off Europe's warnings that turmoil could get worse (+video)

Europe's dire warnings to Greece about the consequences of a potential default engender little fear among Greeks, who say the worst has already arrived.
EU calls for "banking union" to fight debt crisis

The European Commission proposed Wednesday that such a body should oversee banks directly, sidestepping national governments.
As fears about Europe's future worsen, the Dow closes down

Fearing a financial rupture in Europe, investors around the world fled from risk Wednesday. They punished stocks and the euro, and the yield on a benchmark US bond hit its lowest point since World War II. The Dow closed down 161 points to land at 12419.
US Treasury bond yields hit record low as eurozone worries mount

A decline in global stock prices Wednesday shows that many investors are taking sanctuary in US Treasury bonds, anticipating major convulsions in the eurozone – and perhaps its breakup.
Strengthen the euro and reform the European Commission

At a time of European debt crisis, when some see a common currency as a straightjacket, Europe must follow through and strengthen the euro. Europe must also move on political reform. One place to start: Elect the president of the European Commission, the EU's executive arm.
Robert Reich
How to avoid austerity but still fix the deficit

As Europe has shown us, austerity is bad for weak economies facing large budget deficits. But it can be avoided by getting growth and jobs back first, and only then tackling budget deficits.
How Peter Carl Fabergé turned Easter eggs into precious art (+video)

Peter Carl Fabergé, the subject of Wednesday's Google doodle, created elaborate and opulent Fabergé eggs. These jeweled works of art have become so famous that it's easy to forget that they started out as Easter eggs.
Syrian massacre: diplomats expelled from Western nations

The US, Britain, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Bulgaria all expelled diplomats in response to revelations that more than a 100 people were brutally killed in Houla, Syria, by Assad strongmen.
US expels Syrian envoy: a clear message whose impact is dubious

Joining with its Western allies, the US ordered Syria's top diplomat in Washington to leave the country to protest a massacre of civilians that included executions.
Stefan Karlsson
The case for a German value added tax

The continuing eurozone crisis has economists debating the case for a value added tax, or whether or not the German surplus be reduced without reducing (and preferably in fact increasing) German incomes.
After Houla massacre, Syrian diplomats expelled around the world

France, Britain, Canada, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Australia are expelling Syrian diplomatic envoys. The response to the Houla civilian massacre is increasing Syria's isolation.
Maria Sharapova: A 'double bagel' in French Open win

Maria Sharapova, the No. 2 seed, easily beat Alexandra Cadantu of Romania 6-0, 6-0 in the first round of the French Open. With a French Open victory, Sharapova would notch a career Grand Slam.
Robert Reich
Memorial Day: the defense America needs

The best way to honor Memorial Day is to fund a rational defense budget. That means eliminating arms contracts that enrich contractors without advancing America's defense 
By not lifting sanctions, West and Obama are helping Iran enrich uranium

The West just blew its latest chance to rein in Iran's nuclear enrichment program. Though Iran expressed willingness to compromise on key demands, by refusing to ease sanctions, the P5+1 nations offered no meaningful reciprocity, derailing the possibility of a deal with Tehran.
Iran nuclear talks a 'complete failure,' says Iranian diplomat

Both sides spoke of 'some common ground' that will drive the next round of Iran nuclear talks set for mid-June in Moscow. Yet a chasm of mismatched expectations widened in Baghdad.
France's Afghanistan pull-out signals war fatigue driving European defense cuts

Disillusionment with warfare, coupled with economic troubles, has given European defense cuts strong momentum. But defense experts worry they are being made too haphazardly.
Iran enriching uranium to higher levels than reported, says UN

The IAEA has found uranium enriched up to 27 percent in an underground bunker in central Iran, several diplomats told The Associated Press. Until now, Iran had only reported enriched uranium to 20 percent. Highly enriched uranium can be used to make nuclear weapons.
Stefan Karlsson
Europe can strengthen Greece without weakening Germany

Some experts warn that Greece can't reduce its current deficit unless Germany and other better-off nations reduce their surpluses. Here's why they're wrong.
Iran nuclear talks: What world powers are offering, Iran isn't buying. Yet.

The parties to the Iran nuclear talks agreed only to reconvene, in Moscow next month. For now, any inducement short of easing sanctions is not enough to persuade Iran to relinquish its 20-percent-enriched uranium.
HP jump boosts Dow; stocks mixed

Hewlett-Packard helped pull the Dow Jones industrial average to a slight gain Thursday, giving the index only its fourth gain this month. The Dow closed up 33 points at 12529.