News from the world
The Fantastical World of Cult Novelist Karl May
02.04.2012 13:52
Der Spiegel: Germany's Best-Loved Cowboy
Karl May, who died 100 years ago, was an impostor, a liar and a thief -- and one of Germany's most widely read authors. He embellished his own biography with as much fantasy as the scenarios in his adventure novels, and when the deceit was...
EU targets organised crime
13.03.2012 10:56
EuObserver: BRUSSELS - The European Commission outlined a new set of rules on Monday (12 March) that could make it easier for law enforcement to freeze and confiscate criminal assets.
In a Europe caught in the grips of tough austerity measures and an economic crisis, crime and its...
Venus and Jupiter to pass in the night sky
13.03.2012 10:55
BBC: The pairing of Jupiter and Venus in the sky is set to reach its closest point in the coming days.
Despite being vastly far from one another in space, the conjunction will make them appear just a few degrees apart in the sky - about the width of a pair of fingers held at arm's...
Are You As Busy As You Think?
13.03.2012 10:42
WSJ: There was a time, not so long ago, when I was busy, busy, busy. At least I thought I was.
I told people I worked 60 hours a week. I claimed to sleep six hours a night. As I lamented to anyone stuck next to me at parties, I was basically too busy to breathe. Me time?...
How To Be Creative
12.03.2012 13:01
WSJ: The image of the 'creative type' is a myth. Jonah Lehrer on why anyone can innovate—and why a hot shower, a cold beer or a trip to your colleague's desk might be the key to your next big idea.
The image of the 'creative type' is a myth. Jonah Lehrer on why anyone can innovate—and...
Greece and Egypt Try to Woo Back German Tourists
08.03.2012 13:47
DerSpiegel: Two popular destinations for German tourists, Greece and Egypt, have been hit hard by their recent economic and political crises. Tourists, wary of possible unrest, are booking trips to Morocco and Qatar instead. At an international travel trade fair in Berlin this week, the...
Fears of disruption as big solar storm strikes the Earth
08.03.2012 13:42
BBC: The Earth is currently being battered by a storm of charged particles from the Sun, which could disrupt power grids, satellite navigation and plane routes.
The storm - the largest in five years - will bombard the Earth's magnetic field throughout Thursday.
It was triggered by a...
Sex and the modern girl: Are we witnessing a new age of female sexual assertiveness?
02.03.2012 12:41
Independent: Paloma lives in the basement of a tall, regal-looking building on a smart street in west London. Hers is a spacious studio flat with a neat patio area, just big enough for a potted herb garden and wrought-iron table with matching chairs.
Inside, the living quarters feature...
Vatican's 'Secret Archives' Open to Public View
01.03.2012 08:13
WSJ: ROME—The Vatican is giving the public a rare, if temporary, peek inside its secret archive.
On Wednesday the Vatican kicked off a six-month exhibit at Rome's Capitoline Museum that will place 100 documents, usually locked away in the pope's personal archive, on display.
A papal...
"The Artist" paints golden picture at Oscars
27.02.2012 08:46
(Reuters) - Hollywood showed some love for its history at the Oscars on Sunday, giving its best film award and four others to silent movie "The Artist" in a ceremony that recalled why cinema is special to so many people.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences also gave Oscars...
Brit Awards: Adele cut short amid triumph
22.02.2012 10:28
BBC: Adele has won two prizes at the Brit Awards ceremony in London, but was at the centre of controversy after one of her acceptance speeches was cut short.
Her speech was halted after she picked up the prize for best British album. She also won best British female.
"I flung the...
Australia's largest rough pink diamond unearthed
22.02.2012 10:26
BBC: An Australian mining company says it has found a 12.76-carat pink diamond, the largest rough pink diamond found in the country.
The rare diamond was found at Rio Tinto's Argyle diamond mine in Western Australia's East Kimberly region.
Estimated to be worth millions, it has been...
Boats sink in Belgrade as thaw causes Danube ice chaos
21.02.2012 10:21
BBC: A rapid thaw has brought chaos to the River Danube in the Serbian capital Belgrade, where ice damaged boats, pontoons and floating restaurants.
The thick ice covered one of Europe's busiest waterways during the recent freeze, but began to break up on Sunday as...
Nazi sci-fi film Iron Sky becomes Berlin talking point
16.02.2012 12:11
BBC: A Finnish sci-fi comedy about Nazis invading Earth has become the most talked-about movie at this year's Berlin Film Festival.
Iron Sky is a B-movie spoof that has been screening at the festival's sidebar event, called Panorama.
The plot revolves around a group of Nazis who escape to the...
No secularism please, we're British
15.02.2012 13:49
Independent: Arguments about the role of religion in national life have recently acquired a new urgency. Peter Popham reports on a modern version of an old debate
This is what always happens with religion: it is meant to make people behave better, but when they get too serious about it, it ends...
Kalashnikov 5: Brand-new AK-12 rifle unveiled
15.02.2012 09:03
RT: Kalashnikov have unveiled the latest incarnation of their iconic assault rifle, the AK-47. The company says new generation firearm called the AK-12 combines reliability with precision, and can be used with one hand.
The factory which developed the new rifle decided to stick with the classic...
Anti-German Mood Heats Up in Greece
14.02.2012 14:33
Der Spiegel: Railing against the 'Fourth Reich'
Nazi flags are hardly a rarity at Greek demonstrations these days. Anti-German tirades on primetime television have likewise become a staple. In Greece, a consensus has developed as to who is to blame for the country's economic misery. Age old...
Anatomy of a Tear-Jerker
14.02.2012 13:28
WSJ: Why does Adele's 'Someone Like You' make everyone cry? Science has found the formula
On Sunday night, the British singer-songwriter Adele is expected to sweep the Grammys. Three of her six nominations are for her rollicking hit "Rolling in the Deep." But it's her ballad "Someone Like You"...
Grammy glory for returning Adele
13.02.2012 11:28
BBC: Singer Adele was the big winner at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, winning six prizes including record, song and album of the year.
She also made her live comeback at the ceremony, performing for the first time since having throat surgery last year.
Rock band Foo Fighters won five...
Berlin's Golden Ticket
10.02.2012 13:27
WSJ: The Berlinale Film Festival Lineup Challenges the Status Quo With Fresh Perspectives
The gritty streets of Berlin are a far cry from the glamour and glitz of Cannes or Venice. And that's just the way the directors of the Berlin Film Festival like it.
While the Berlinale certainly attracts...
Snowdrop fanciers and their mania
08.02.2012 14:12
BBC: Forget trainspotting and bird twitching, a snowdrop hunting craze is starting to take hold.
Understated they may be, but snowdrops have a very dedicated following. Record prices are being paid for single bulbs and a lucrative industry is developing to satisfy the demand of the growing...
Gill: Solution to Europe Crisis Lies in Mona Lisa Smile
08.02.2012 13:50
Bloomberg: They discovered another Mona Lisa at the Prado in Madrid, just hanging about in the stock room. “What do you think that is?” asked some Spanish curator. “Let’s clean it and see. Caramba. It’s another Mona Lisa,” painted contemporaneously by Leonardo da Vinci’s favored pupil, perhaps...
Diamond Jubilee: Queen celebrating 60-year reign
06.02.2012 11:32
BBC: The Queen has said she is dedicating herself "anew to your service", as she marks the 60th anniversary of her accession to the throne.
In a message, she also said she felt "deeply moved" by the support shown for her Diamond Jubilee.
It will be marked by several events, with the main...
China 'bans' airlines from joining EU carbon scheme
06.02.2012 11:30
BBC: China has "banned" all airlines in the country from joining the European Union's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) aimed at cutting carbon emissions.
The authorities have also barred the airlines from increasing their fares or adding new charges for the scheme.
The ban comes just weeks...
Greece crisis talks over EU bailout to resume
06.02.2012 11:28
BBC: Party leaders in Greece's governing coalition are to resume crisis talks on new austerity measures.
The measures are in exchange for a 130bn-euro (£108bn; $171bn) EU bailout and a 100bn write-off of private sector debt. Athens needs the money by March to avoid a debt default.
Talks on...
Romania PM Emil Boc resigns after austerity protests
06.02.2012 11:24
BBC: Romania's Prime Minister Emil Boc has stepped down to "defuse political and social tension" after a series of protests against austerity measures.
Speaking after a cabinet meeting, he said he had given up the government's mandate as "it is the moment for important political...
Every pupil should read Dickens, says minister... (but he's too hard, says the author's biographer)
06.02.2012 11:10
Independent: The Schools minister Nick Gibb has great expectations of Britain's 11-year-olds, singling out Charles Dickens' classic as one of the books all children should read before they leave primary school. But on the eve of Dickens' 200th birthday, his biographer has warned that young...
Science behind the big freeze: is climate change bringing the Arctic to Europe?
06.02.2012 07:57
Independent: A loss of sea ice could be a cause of the bitter winds that have swept across the UK in the past week, weather experts say
The bitterly cold weather sweeping Britain and the rest of Europe has been linked by scientists with the ice-free seas of the Arctic, where global warming is...
Mona Lisa's 'twin sister' is discovered – 500 years late
03.02.2012 08:28
Independent: Sensational find in Madrid's Prado museum rewrites the history of art
The Mona Lisa at the Prado in Madrid was thought to be just another fine copy, with added eyebrows and an odd black background.
But curators at Spain's national art museum yesterday announced a startling...
Fury at army and police over Egypt soccer riot deaths
03.02.2012 08:24
Independent: Egyptian police have fired tear gas at thousands of demonstrators outside the Interior Ministry protesting the security forces' failure to prevent a riot that killed 74 people.
Anger has been building as the public and lawmakers blamed the country's military rulers for the...