| SPIEGEL ONLINE | INTERNATIONAL NEWSLETTER |
| Compiled on September 10, 2013, 06:07 PM CET |
| Russia's Syria Initiative Obama Postpones Attack on Assad Potential US strikes against the Assad regime now appear to be postponed until further notice after US President Barack Obama said he was open to a Russian plan to put Syrian chemical weapons under international control. But many doubt the plan will work. |
| Backlash Merkel's Erratic Syria Course Sews Discord in Europe German Chancellor Angela Merkel says that her diplomacy on the Syria question has yielded a "markedly good result." But many in Europe would beg to differ -- and the EU is more divided on the issue than ever. |
| The Power of Egoism Merkel Re-Election Campaign Stalls the EU Angela Merkel has indirectly accused other EU members of egoism in the Syria crisis. When it comes to European policies, however, the chancellor can be accused of the same: The German election has put the brakes on several important projects in Brussels. |
| Hate Campaign City Forced to Re-Hang Far-Right Posters A court has ruled that a German town must re-hang campaign posters belonging to the right-wing extremist NPD. The town had removed the signs because it found them racist. |
| Japan's Nuclear Migraine A Never-Ending Disaster at Fukushima Japan is stumbling helplessly from one crisis to the next as it battles the ongoing disaster at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. US nuclear inspector Dale Klein is demanding the intervention of foreign experts, but a quick solution is unlikely. |
| Dispute with ECB European Parliament Delays Banking Union Vote The European Parliament has delayed an important vote on the euro zone banking union that will see the most important financial institutions placed under the supervisory of the European Central Bank. Members of parliament want greater ECB accountability. |
| Nazi Leader 'Mystery' Secret Rudolf Hess File to be Auctioned A dossier of documents apparently drawn up by Rudolf Hess after the Nazi leader's flight to Scotland in 1941 has been discovered, and will be auctioned in the US. Whether it will shed any light on the bizarre actions of the Deputy Führer is another matter. |
| The Country Life Fake 'Dominatrix' Lures Slaves for Farm Work Several sadomasochists eagerly responded to an advert posted by an Austrian woman farmer seeking clients. But they didn't get the punishment they had hoped for. Instead, they found themselves doing farm labor in fetish gear, while paying for the privilege. |
| Birth Fathers Trans Parenthood Tests Berlin Authorities Earlier this year a trans man in Berlin gave birth to a child. The case highlights the difficulties government agencies face in dealing with transsexuals. Germany eliminated rules in 2011 making a sex-change operation a prerequisite for recognition of a new gender. |
| Picture This Bending Over Backwards |