Shareholders back Deutsche Börse merger
Shareholders controlling more than 80 percent of German stock market operator Deutsche Börse approved Thursday a merger with NYSE Euronext to create the world's biggest stock exchange.
Day: July 14, 2011
Germany
Germany
Arms deals raise human rights questions
Arms deals with Saudi Arabia and Angola have sparked widespread outrage in Germany and highlighted the country's emergence as the world's third-largest weapons exporter. But is Berlin guilty of hypocrisy or just poor political judgement?
Germany
RWE joins forces with Gazprom for power play
Russian gas giant Gazprom and Germany's number two utilities group RWE said on Thursday they are looking to form a strategic partnership to jointly construct power plants in Europe.
France
Sarkozy in crisis meeting after Afghan killings
President Nicolas Sarkozy on Thursday held an emergency security meeting as yet another French soldier was killed in Afghanistan, a day after five others died in a suicide attack there.
Sweden
Tallinn’s charms just a luxury ferry ride away
While the Stockholm archipelago has its undeniable charms, venturing a little further east means a great leap in terms of the culture and history offered by the much-underestimated Baltic countries.
Sweden
Royal revellers brave birthday downpour
Despite the nasty weather a brave crowd had gathered to congratulate Crown Princess Victoria on her birthday at the Royal Family’s summer residence Solliden on the Baltic island of Öland on Thursday.
Germany
Fallen media mogul Leo Kirch dies
German media mogul Leo Kirch died on Thursday at the age of 84, ending the spectacular rise and fall of a man who built an empire only to see it crumble.
Sweden
Cops drop Örebro prof suspect suicide probe
An investigation into the suicide of the man suspected of murdering and dismembering a Örebro professor in March has been dropped with staff cleared of any suspicion of breach of duty.
France
France primed for Bastille Day celebrations
Celebrations of France’s national day kicked off on Thursday with a military parade down the Champs-Elysées in Paris. All around the country, concerts, marches, fireworks and other events are marking the storming of the Bastille prison that set off the French Revolution.
Germany
Living in a dying city
Hoyerswerda is Germany's fastest shrinking city – and a potential trailblazer for other communities facing demographic collapse. Caitlan Carroll reports on how its residents are trying to cope.
Switzerland
Swiss ban Egyptian seeds over E.coli fears
Switzerland on Thursday suspended imports of some seeds, beans and sprouts from Egypt, after the European Union blamed Egyptian fenugreek seeds for E.coli outbreaks in Germany and France.
Sweden
Swede suspected of war crimes in Serbia
A Swedish citizen was remanded into custody in Serbia on Wednesday after having been picked up by Serbian border police when entering the country. According to the Swedish foreign ministry he is suspected of war crimes.
Sweden
Teaching vacancies jump in Sweden
The number of advertised vacancies for teaching jobs in Sweden has leapt 25 percent over the past year, new figures show, with unions arguing that low salaries are to blame.
Germany
Merkel visits Nigeria amid patrol boat row
German Chancellor Angela Merkel met the president of oil-and-gas rich Nigeria on Thursday after her earlier visit to Angola sparked controversy over an offer to sell the African country patrol boats.
Sweden
80-year-old convicted for nursing home abuse
An 80-year-old man was on Thursday convicted of rape in connection with the abuse of a woman in her seventies who suffered from dementia at a nursing home in Luleå in northern Sweden.
France
Ikea opens free hotel for sleepy drivers
Swedish furniture giant Ikea has opened a temporary hotel at a rest stop on one of France’s busiest motorways offering free rooms for 20-minute naps. The goal is to help drivers who have become sleepy at at the wheel, as well as selling a mattress or two.
Sweden
Swedish journalists faced Ethiopian court: ministry
The two Swedish reporters arrested while travelling in the Ogaden province of Ethiopia in the beginning of the month have already faced a judge, according to information from Swedish and Ethiopian officials.
Germany
Another FDP politician stripped of doctorate in plagiarism affair
Another high-profile politician of the pro-business Free Democratic Party, Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, has been stripped of his university doctorate amid a plagiarism scandal but has vowed to write another thesis if necessary.
France
Banon gives first TV interview over DSK affair
Tristane Banon, the French writer who has accused Dominique Strauss-Kahn of attempted rape, has given her first television interview since filing her criminal complaint. She said pressing charges was the only way to finally put the incident behind her.
Sweden
Swedish apartment prices continue to fall
Flat prices fell by 4 percent in Sweden in June compared to the previous month, according to fresh figures from Sweden’s real estate statistics website Mäklarstatistik. This marks the third month in a row that flat prices have fallen in Sweden. However, house prices still remain unchanged.
France
‘Fiance’ defends DSK accuser as ‘honest lady’
An Arizona inmate identified as the fiance of the woman accusing Dominique Strauss-Kahn of attempted rape, defended her in an online interview on Wednesday, saying she would have had no cause to invent her story.
France
Air Algerie strike leaves thousands stranded
A strike by Air Algerie cabin crew who want a 106-percent pay rise left thousands of angry travellers stranded in Paris, Marseille and Nice airports on Wednesday, France's transport minister said.
France
Marseille tighten security after player burglaries
Marseille have set up security patrols outside the homes of their players after defender Vitorino Hilton became the latest victim of burglaries targeting the club's playing staff.
France
India approves $2.4 billion French jet upgrade
India has approved a $2.4-billion deal for French defence groups to upgrade 51 ageing Mirage fighter jets, officials said Thursday, as the country takes further steps to boost its military capacity.
Switzerland
Asylum requests decline in June
The number of asylum requests dropped in June by 25 percent compared to the month before, newly published statistics said.
Switzerland
Masked robbers attack Swiss soldiers
Two masked robbers armed with knives attacked a military patrol in the early hours of Wednesday morning after they were caught trying to steal assault rifles stored at a military facility.
Germany
What’s on in Germany: July 14 – July 20
This Week's Highlights: A Bollywood festival comes to Stuttgart, Hamburg hosts a triathlon, and the Alvin Ailey Company dances in Berlin.
Switzerland
Mother of newborn baby found in waste identified
The mother of a newborn baby whose body was found at a composting centre has been identified, police said.
Germany
Families go grey with granny au pairs
In Germany the idea of a teenager spending a few months abroad looking after someone else's children while she studies or travels has given rise to a new concept – the granny au pair.
Germany
Heavy storms sweep across Bavaria
Hurricane-like winds and heavy rains caused hundreds of thousands of euros in damage in Bavaria overnight - the second time this week that wild weather has hit the southern German state.
Sweden
UK court defers Assange extradition appeal
Judges in the UK High Court on Wednesday deferred their decision an appeal by WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange against his extradition to Sweden to face allegations of rape and sexual assault.
Sweden
Spotify set for US launch
Swedish music streaming service Spotify is set to launch its popular service in the US on Thursday.
Germany
Power outage throws Hannover into chaos
A major power failure caused chaos in Hannover and the neighbouring town of Langenhagen Wednesday night as vandals smashed storefronts and looted goods, authorities said.
Sweden
Swedes undone by rampant Japan
Sweden proved incapable of coping with an impressive Japan who booked their place in the women's World Cup final against the United States with a emphatic 3-1 victor in Wednesday's semi-final.
Germany
US, Japan to face-off in epic finals clash
Japan and the United States set up a clash for the biggest prize in women's football after seeing off European hopefuls Sweden and France by identical 3-1 scorelines in Wednesday's semi-finals at the World Cup.