| SPIEGEL ONLINE | INTERNATIONAL NEWSLETTER |
| Compiled on August 08, 2013, 07:33 PM CET |
| GERMAN STASIS In the Grips of Merkel's 'Lethargocracy' The German economy may be doing well now, but significant challenges lurk in the near future. Chancellor Merkel, though, has succumbed to the torpor of her electorate and has shown no willingness to address badly needed reforms. |
| SINGLE ISSUE CAMPAIGN NSA Mudslinging Takes Center Stage The Social Democrats have been in attack mode for weeks, blasting Merkel for Germany's cooperation with the NSA in the data surveillance scandal. This week, her Christian Democrats have bit back, saying that the SPD shares culpability. |
| TOO MANY BIKES? Europe's Cycling Boom Sees a Backlash More bicycles were supposed to make Europe's cities more livable. Instead, the popularity of two-wheeled travel is causing problems in some cities in Holland and Denmark, where traffic jams and parking shortages are common. Still, planners remain optimistic. |
| SEGREGATED Swiss Towns Ban Asylum Seekers from Certain Zones The town of Bremgarten in the Swiss canton of Aargau has banned asylum seekers from public swimming pools and sports tracks. The decision is symptomatic of Switzerland's increasingly restrictive asylum policy. |
| CASUALTY OF WAR WWII Explosives Scuttle Windfarm Opening The ambitious Riffgat wind farm was supposed to open off the German and Dutch coast this month and power 120,000 homes. Now the discovery of unexploded ordinance is causing a costly delay. |
| ALONG FOR THE RIDE Touring the Rhine on a Freight Ship The Rhine is Germany's most beloved waterway for leisurely river cruises, passing by picturesque cities and countryside. On the MS Michaela, guests also get to know life on board an inland freight vessel -- alongside more than 3,500 tons of garbage as cargo. |
| FIZZING OUT The Spanish Firm that Inspired Coke Locals believe that the Spanish town of Aielo de Malferit is where Coca-Cola originated -- and that the factory which developed the formula that inspired the world's best-selling soda has been cheated of its rightful place in history. Not to mention profits. |
| DEFORMED BUT DELICIOUS Student Campaign Combats Waste Deformed carrots, knobbly lemons and discolored zucchini are deemed unsellable by German supermarkets, resulting in an enormous amount of food waste each year. Students here recently launched a campaign to help get the ugly specimens back on store shelves. |
| PICTURE THIS Sweet Eid |