Sick and tired of the bigotry!

Geert Wilders' One-Man Crusade against Islam

Geert Wilders wants to ban the Koran, impose a tax on headscarves and calculate the cost of immigration. The Dutch right-wing populist also plans to run for prime minister in 2011 -- and his party is currently leading in the polls.

Dresden Courtroom Killer Gets Life

Alex W., the man who stabbed pregnant Egyptian pharmacist Marwa al-Sherbini to death in a courtroom in Dresden in July, was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday. The judge imposed the harshest possible sentence under the German system by ruling that W.

East German Jokes Collected by West German Spies

Did East Germans originate from apes? Impossible. Apes could never have survived on just two bananas a year.

Iraq – The Women's Story

The invasion of Iraq heralded promises of freedom from tyranny and equal rights for the women of Iraq. But three years on, the reality of everyday life for women inside Iraq is a different story.

A Forced Breakthrough in the Middle East

US President Barack Obama is serious about his new Mideast policy. He is urging Israel to halt its settlement activities in the occupied territories and is pushing Europe to impose tougher sanctions on Tehran. Israel, Iran and even Hamas are already reacting to the new policy.

Merkel's Conservatives Suffer Heavy Losses in State Elections

Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats suffered major losses in two state elections in Germany Sunday.

Roma Killings Expose Social Tensions in Hungary

Four neo-Nazis were arrested in recent days for a spate of horrific killings of Roma in Hungary, where economic woes and the rise of race-bating right-wing parties has exacerbated existing ethnic tensions. Now, the Roma minority is moving to organize its defense.

Danish Conservatives Call for Burqa Ban

The immigration spokesman for Denmark's Conservative Party is calling for a ban on the wearing of burqas in public. He says the garment was introduced by the Taliban and is "not Islamic at all."

Jewish Settlements Threaten Viability of Palestinian State

While politicians in Jerusalem squabble with the Americans over halting the construction of new settlements in the West Bank, the settlers themselves are quietly proceeding with construction in a bid to create a fait accompli on the ground.

Walt Disney and the Art of WWII Propaganda

During World War II, Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse weren't just about entertainment. Film studios used animated characters to spread propaganda and educate Americans about their enemies. And the animators themselves were employed to make insignia for military units and equipment.

Georgia Deflects Blame Ahead of EU Report

In a soon-to-be-published report, the European Union is expected to place the responsibility for starting the South Ossetia war on Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili.

German Consumer Prices Fall For First Time in 22 Years

Latest figures confirm the first annual decline in Germany's consumer price index in decades. For some, the deflationary figures raise the specter of the Great Depression. Others say the decline will only be short term

EU Tightens Sanctions Against Burma

The decision to extend Burmese politician Aung San Suu Kyi's house arrest has sparked outrage in Brussels. The EU has proposed "targeted measures" against the junta, while British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is calling for a worldwide ban on the sale of arms to the Asian country.

German Campaign Gets Much-Needed Dose of Humor

Germany's election campaign is being livened up by satirical pledges to rebuild the Berlin Wall, send pensioners to the east, provide free cosmetic surgery for everyone and install a rabbit as the national symbol.

How Lice Thwarted Napoleon's Invasion of Russia

His invasion of Russia failed miserably, leaving a trail of corpses from Moscow all the way to Paris. In a new book, one historian blames not the wintry march but the spread of "war plague" -- typhus -- through Napoleon's Grand Army.

Parents Allegedly Hid Daughter for Nine Years

Police in the eastern German state of Brandenburg are investigating whether a local couple kept their mentally handicapped daughter out of school and away from any social contact for nine years.

The House That Mies and Walter Built

The legendary German art school, the Bauhaus, has influenced almost a century worth of art, design and architecture. This week the largest ever Bauhaus retrospective opened in Berlin.

'Germany Has a Duty to Warn Israel on Settlements'

It's time Germany toughened its stance on Israel in response to the continued construction of settlements, write German media commentators.

Hermaphrodite - A life between sexes

As I was watching TV last night I came across a story that most likely isn't widely discussed, yet it didn't settle too well with me: Hermaphrodites. Let's start by establishing what a hermaphrodite is: A person or animal having both male and female sexual characteristics

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Will EU Penalize Exports from Israeli Settlements?

Is Europe really willing to express its aversion to Israeli settlements in the West Bank by slapping customs duties on products made in them? A tax court in Hamburg might soon provide an answer to this touchy issue.

How Long Can Israel Resist US Pressure?

As US President Barack Obama presses ahead with his Middle East peace intiatives, America's new tone and new modesty are going down well in the region.

Report Paints Damning Picture of Gaza Campaign

Israel has claimed that everything was done to protect innocent lives during its recent military operation in the Gaza Strip.

Germany Bolsters Anti-Terror Measures

Faced with heightened concerns of a terror attack in the run-up to Germany's September election, security authorities have reacted with a plan they hope will prevent the worst.

Stasi Files Reveal East Germany's 'Dirty Reality'

This week Germans were shocked to learn that almost 17,000 of their civil servants had once worked for the feared East German secret police, the Stasi.

Garmisch-Partenkirchen Security Advisory

The U.S. Consulate in Munich advises American citizens to avoid public gathering places, particularly restaurants, bars and discos frequented by American citizens, in the area of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria during the July 4th weekend.

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About Xanthiana

Articles Posted: 34
Links Seeded: 122
Member Since: 6/2008Last Seen: 11/21/2009

I was born and raised in Germany and have lived several years in the United States, but am back home now.