International

▣ Iran's Conflict with Israel: A Dangerous Spiral of Violence in the Middle East

The danger of all-out war in the Middle East is greater than ever. How did Israel and Iran get into this mess? And can they still find a way out?

▣ Is Germany Complicit in War Against Gaza?

After Israeli airstrikes killed his wife and daughter, a Palestinian man is now taking legal action in a Berlin court against the export of weapons of war to Israel. The accusation: Germany may be violating international law by doing so – and endangering his life.

▣ Germany's Chancellor Faces Balancing Act on China Trip

The German government wants to become less dependent on China and pay less attention to profits and more to human rights – at least In principle. But there won't be many signs of that during Chancellor Olaf Scholz's upcoming trip to the country. A DER SPIEGEL analysis.

▣ The Resurrection of Fire-Ravaged Cathedral Brings France Together in Unexpected Ways

Five years after the fire at Notre-Dame, the iconic cathedral in Paris now has a roof and a tower again. The reconstruction is almost complete in what is no less than a national tour de force that has led to rare unity in a divided republic.

▣ Germany's Dilemma: Berlin's Support for Israel Is Damaging Its International Standing

Criticism of Israel's military operation in the Gaza Strip is growing in Germany and around the world. Because of the country's solidarity with Israel, Berlin is losing is diplomatic stature elsewhere. What can be done?

▣ Interview with Former Russian Central Bank Advisor: "It's Time To Slowly Bleed Russia's Economy Dry"

When Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, Alexandra Prokopenko quit her job at the Russian Central Bank. In an interview, she explains why the Russian president's economic policy is so successful. And what the West could do that would really harm the Kremlin.

▣ Cash's Last Stand: Germans Finally Warm to Digital Payments

The Germans have long been known for their love of notes and coins. Businesses, however, are slowly moving away from cash. Younger people prefer to pay by app, and the European Central Bank is also contemplating a digital euro.

▣ Electric Shock: An Existential Crisis in the German Auto Industry

Electric cars are selling poorly, and many German manufacturers are still focusing on the combustion engine. The threat from cheaper Chinese competitors is growing. Might this be the death knell of Germany's fabled automobile industry?

▣ Iraqi Marshlands Under Threat: The Garden of Eden Dries Up

Some say the Garden of Eden was located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in present-day Iraq. Now, the wetlands there are drying up. The man fighting to save the marshes is risking his life to do so.

▣ Sri Lanka: Dhanush, Udeni and the State Bankruptcy

The biggest humanitarian crisis in decades is raging in the Global South. Around 50 countries are nearing bankruptcy, and 165 million people have fallen into poverty. The story of a brother and sister who have lost almost everything. Except each other.

▣ Israel Six Months Later: The Wrenching Decision to Return to the Site of Horror

The first survivors of the Hamas massacre have returned to Kfar Aza, where almost ten percent of the population were either murdered or abducted. It is a changed place, and the community is fractured.

▣ The Election Farce in Russia: Putin's Elaborate Effort To Make His Re-Election Look Legitimate

Russia's democracy may be dead, but the regime is sparing neither effort nor expense in staging the presidential election. Large voter turnout is supposed to give Putin's rule the appearance of legitimacy.

▣ Language Tests and Deportations: Latvia Tightens the Screws on Its Russian Minority

Around 30 percent of the Latvian population are Russian speakers. The government believes they could provide Vladimir Putin with a bridgehead into the country. The atmosphere is growing tense.

▣ Enemy and Helper: Is Hamas Exploiting the UN's Palestinian Relief Organization?

UNRWA employees are alleged to have participated in the October 7 terror attack against Israel. Is there any truth to the allegations? And what happens to the Gaza Strip if the most important humanitarian relief organization is abolished in the middle of the war?

▣ Filling the Gap: Germany Seeks to Ramp Up Skilled Labor Migration from Kenya

German cities are suffering from a shortage of bus drivers, and local transportation companies are looking all the way to the shores of Lake Victoria to find what they need. They aren't the only Kenyans in high demand in Germany at the moment.

▣ Jan Marsalek an Agent for Russia? The Double Life of the former Wirecard Executive

Since the collapse of Wirecard, Jan Marsalek has been on the run and is one of the most wanted men in the world. A DER SPIEGEL investigation has revealed how he went underground and that he's a Russian spy.

▣ The Russian Invasion - A Visit to the Ukrainian Troops in the Trenches on the Front

Kyiv's soldiers have been fighting under the most difficult of conditions for two years. They are running out of ammunition and replacement troops are few. Many are no longer capable of imagining normal life. A visit to the front.

▣ The Marseille Experiment: Macron Attempts to Save a City Rocked by Drug Violence

Almost 50 people have recently died in drug-related violence in Marseille – even as ever more people are moving there. The government is investing billions in the city, but can it still be saved?