Author: Spiegel.de

The right-wing extremist attacker from Halle had numerous homemade weapons with him on his shooting spree. But their quality was poor. Others, though, are perfecting the reliability of 3D-printed weapons – and have moved on to rocket launchers.

Initially celebrated as a wunderkind, Sebastian Kurz resigned as Austrian chancellor over the weekend amid a far-reaching corruption probe. Documents from that investigation hint at a mafia-like system involving political leaders and the media built up over many years.

Mysterious men wearing balaclavas are beating up refugees at the external EU border or abandoning them at sea. Months of reporting now reveals who is behind the operations.

In a remote mountain region, Taliban rule is having dramatic consequences: The most powerful ethnic group, the Pashtuns, are taking the homes and farms of their Shiite neighbors. It could be a harbinger of ethnic cleansing.

Ibrahim Kalın is the chief foreign policy advisor to Turkish President Erdoğan. He sees the Europeans as ungrateful but strives for better relations. How does he hope to overcome tensions?

Five migrants have already died on the Belarusian border as they try to enter Poland. Warsaw, though, has shown zero sympathy for their plight and continues to do all they can to prevent refugees from entering.

During this month’s election, the candidates didn’t say much about geopolitics and Germany’s role in the world. That could come back to haunt Berlin in the coming months. A preview of what to expect from Washington, Paris, Brussels, Moscow and Beijing in the months to come.

After 16 years in government and a disastrous election result, German conservatives have lost their way. It is time to stop pretending that they can be part of the next government and begin the process of renewal.

The right-wing radical party AfD emerged from last Sunday’s election as the strongest political force in the eastern German states of Saxony and Thuringia. What did the mainstream parties do wrong?

In an interview with DER SPIEGEL, Olaf Scholz of the Social Democrats, the front-runner to become Germany’s next chancellor, discusses his plan to create a stable government and reveals what he has in common with Angela Merkel.

Lagos is poised to become the world’s biggest city. The Nigerian megacity is a massive experiment – unregulated and wild, with endless traffic jams, waterfront slums and an impressively resilient population.

The jury for the 2021 Social Design Award has sorted through the submissions and selected 10 fantastic ideas. You can vote for your favorite between now and Oct. 11.

The Green Party and the business-friendly Free Democrats plan to hold exploratory talks with each other before meeting with the main chancellor candidates in the coming days. They appear to be worlds apart but are already finding some common ground.

The right-wing populist party AfD sought to paper over its deep split between the moderate and extremist wings for the campaign. Now that the party won fewer votes than expected, that divide is once again front and center.

Armin Laschet, the chancellor candidate from Angela Merkel’s CDU, refuses to accept his defeat. In his world, he can still become Germany’s next leader.

As expected, German voters declined to choose a clear victor on Sunday, setting the stage for a difficult search for a governing coalition. Angela Merkel’s CDU suffered an abysmal result while the Social Democrats have new life. Ultimately, though, two other parties will play kingmaker.

A man arrested for shooting and killing a 20-year-old gas station cashier last week appears to have been influenced by far-right ideologies and conspiracy theories. Security officials worry that a scene that denies the coronavirus is growing increasingly radical.

China presents a significant threat, believes former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. Which is why, he says, the West must work together rather than engage in the kind of bickering triggered by the recent submarine deal between Australia and the United States.

This spring, the Green Party was soaring in the polls and it even looked as though their candidate, Annalena Baerbock, could become chancellor. But then, it all fell apart. What happened?

Christoph Heusgen served for 12 years as Angela Merkel’s top foreign policy adviser. In an interview, he speaks about the chancellor’s successes, mistakes, the amateurish nature of Donald Trump’s government and the right approach to an ascendant China.

The berry market has transformed Portugal as plantations have sprung up in recent years. Conditions for workers are problematic and an already dry region is quickly using up its water supplies.

Germany pledged it would continue rescuing former local hires from Afghanistan, even after the airlift from Kabul ended. Yet despite the grave danger they are in, Berlin is failing to help them.

Bulgaria has significant problems with corruption and money laundering. Nevertheless, the European Union is prepared to accept the country as the next member of the eurozone. Many fear that might be a bad idea.

A private initiative wants to use modern genetic engineering to reintroduce the extinct woolly mammoth to the tundra of Siberia. In an interview, evolutionary biologist Victoria Herridge criticizes the endeavor and says we should instead focus on saving endangered species.

Angela Merkel’s conservatives could be facing an historical debacle at the polls in this year’s election. Their candidate, Armin Laschet, has been anything but inspiring, and his stumbles could have deep consequences for the stability of German politics.

As winter approaches, experts are concerned that more contagious variants of the coronavirus could emerge. Measure to prevent the spread of the virus, they say, will be with us for a long time to come.

Khalid al-Halabi is thought to have been responsible for the torturing of Syrian opposition activists. Despite efforts to bring him to justice, he has been living in freedom in Austria for years – protected by the country’s intelligence agency.

A consortium led by Germany’s Siemens has been awarded a contract to build a high-speed rail network in the Middle East. The deal is good for Egypt, Germany and Europe – and it shows that the West can still compete against China.

In an interview, BioNTech founders Uğur Şahin and Özlem Türeci explain why booster shots are needed to combat the Delta variant of the coronavirus, and they say that a vaccine for five- to 11-year-old children is on its way.

Only 2 percent of the 1.3 billion people who live in Africa have been vaccinated. Yet there are plenty of surplus doses in wealthy countries. Fair distribution has been little more than an illusion so far.

A planned dam in China’s Red River Valley would have destroyed the habitat of an endangered bird. But a 31-year-old biology student stood up to the authorities and managed to block the project. How did he do it?

It has been a bad summer for wildfires in Europe, and all signs point to more bad summers to come. Many countries are trying out new approaches to lower the fire danger, but not all of them are high-tech. Catalonia, for example, is turning to livestock.

The U.S. invaded Afghanistan in 2001 to defeat the Taliban. Now that President Joe Biden has withdrawn the troops, he is relying on the Taliban to hold Afghanistan together and prevent it from becoming a playground for terrorists.

Angela Merkel’s 16 years as German chancellor have been characterized by crisis after crisis, most of them global in nature. Her intellect has been a critical tool in addressing those challenges, but her follow through left a lot to be desired.

The war on terror has failed, former FBI intelligence officer Ali Soufan argues in an interview. He believes that the hasty U.S. withdrawal will unleash a wave of fear and strengthen extremists around the world.

Germany’s Social Democrats appear to be rising from the dead as the general election approaches. In Olaf Scholz, the party has found a candidate whose leadership style could be a lot like Angela Merkel’s.

AI is helping researchers, urban planners, activists and even companies prevent damage to the climate. Algorithms can be used to detect forest destruction, reduce emissions – or even eavesdrop on animals in the ocean.

The Deutsche bank subsidiary DWS claims to be a pioneer in green investment. But is it? DER SPIEGEL spoke with former DWS executive Desiree Fixler, whose accusations against the company have led to an official investigation.

As Greek finance minister, he made a name for himself for standing up to Germany. But his political star burned out quickly. Now, Yanis Varoufakis is trying his luck at writing novels.

He fled the capital for the Panjshir Valley, where he declared himself president: Amrullah Saleh, formerly Afghanistan’s vice president, hopes to lead the anti-Taliban resistance. He has written a letter to DER SPIEGEL to explain.

U.S. President Joe Biden wanted to end the war in Afghanistan and pull America’s troops out as quietly as possible. Instead, the chaos and the bloodbath in Kabul could cripple his presidency.

On Thursday, the German military suspended flights from Kabul. Thousands of people who worked for the Germans have been left behind. Berlin is hoping negotiations with the Taliban will give them a way out.

The attack at the Kabul airport shows that the Taliban are unable to get the country completely under control, terror expert Wassim Nasr argues in an interview. An entity that once offered safe haven to terrorists will now have to fight them.

Mafiosi and drug bosses have changed the face of cities around the world with their massive villas. Now, these assets are being confiscated in Italy, Berlin and Mexico and given back to the people.

Parents and children are always in need of a helping hand, but particularly during pandemic times. That’s why DER SPIEGEL and SPIEGEL WISSEN are looking for the best ideas for strengthening families. Enter your submission by August 31 for a chance to win 2,500 euros!

After almost two decades as a guerilla movement, the Taliban have completely underestimated what it means to run a state. It will be extremely difficult for them to keep Afghanistan under control.

In an interview, Mary Trump, the only niece of the former American president, talks about an uncle she describes as dangerous, his enduring power and the growing hate in America.