Germany
Cyprus MPs study bailout 'Plan B' as meltdown looms
Mar 22, 2013 04:39 EDT
Cyprus is scrambling to overhaul its banking sector to avoid financial meltdown, after the European Central Bank threatened to pull the plug on emergency funding for the island's lenders.
World Cup hopefuls stay focused before showdown
Mar 22, 2013 00:01 EDT
With just over a year to go until the World Cup, some of Europe's leading nations are hoping to take a major step towards sealing their places in the finals in Brazil in a busy week of qualifying.
Cyprus launches banking overhaul as meltdown looms
Mar 21, 2013 23:17 EDT
Cyprus is scrambling to overhaul its banking sector to avoid financial meltdown, after the European Central Bank threatened to pull the plug on emergency funding for the island's lenders.
Microsoft releases data on government requests
Mar 21, 2013 16:16 EDT
Microsoft said Thursday it received 75,378 law enforcement requests for data in 2012 in the tech giant's first report on the sensitive subject.
T-Mobile deal with MetroPCS get regulators' OK
Mar 21, 2013 14:39 EDT
T-Mobile USA's deal to merge with smaller telecom carrier MetroPCS has cleared all regulatory hurdles in the United States, the companies announced Thursday.
Time to 'drain the swamp of racism' - Boateng
Mar 21, 2013 14:34 EDT
AC Milan midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng -- lauded for walking off the pitch to protest abuse by fans -- on Thursday called for an end to racism in the sport, likening it to a virulent disease that blighted the game.
French Jewish students take legal action against Twitter
Mar 21, 2013 14:27 EDT
A Jewish student group has announced it was taking further legal action against Twitter over the global networking site's failure to respond to a French court order to hand over data to help identify the authors of anti-Semitic tweets.
Cyprus brinksmanship could spin out of control: analysts
Mar 21, 2013 13:41 EDT
As the EU raised the spectre of a eurozone exit for Cyprus, experts warned on Thursday of the consequences of brinksmanship from Brussels to Moscow in the race to fix new bailout terms.
Iran leader hints at first direct US nuclear talks
Mar 21, 2013 13:25 EDT
Iran's supreme leader on Thursday signalled openness for the first time to US offers to hold direct talks on his country's disputed nuclear drive, but voiced pessimism over the chances of a breakthrough.
Nobel laureate says pope not complicit in 'Dirty War'
Mar 21, 2013 13:02 EDT
Pope Francis was "not complicit" with Argentina's brutal military dictatorship and pursued a "silent diplomacy" , Nobel peace laureate Adolfo Perez Esquivel said on Thursday, following criticism the pontiff had failed to speak out.
Thai students set for mass tablet computer handout
Mar 21, 2013 12:08 EDT
Thailand plans to distribute about 1.7 million tablet computers to students and teachers this year in the world's largest handout of the devices for education, officials said Thursday.
Major hyperrealist painting show opens in Madrid
Mar 21, 2013 11:38 EDT
An exhibition of 50 paintings by hyperrealist artists whose works depict shop windows, camper vans, street views and other everyday scenes in such painstaking detail that they resemble photographs opens Friday in Madrid.
Celebrated Romanian writer denounces 'war' on intellectuals
Mar 21, 2013 11:19 EDT
Celebrated Romanian novelist Mircea Cartarescu has told AFP, in an exclusive interview, of a "war" against intellectuals in his country.
One dead as helicopters collide in Berlin
Mar 21, 2013 10:37 EDT
At least one police officer died Thursday after two helicopters collided at Berlin's iconic Olympic Stadium during a security exercise for operations against football hooligans, authorities said.
Pope 'not complicit' with Argentine junta: Nobel laureate
Mar 21, 2013 10:37 EDT
Pope Francis was "not complicit" with Argentina's brutal military dictatorship and pursued "silent diplomacy", Nobel Peace Prize laureate Adolfo Perez Esquivel said on Thursday after meeting with Latin America's first pontiff.
One dead as helicopters collide at Berlin stadium
Mar 21, 2013 07:26 EDT
One person died Thursday as two helicopters collided over Berlin's iconic Olympic Stadium during a police security exercise for operations against football hooligans, authorities said.
Lufthansa cancels 670 due to strikes
Mar 21, 2013 06:35 EDT
German airline Lufthansa said Thursday it has cancelled more than 670 European flights owing to warning strikes by ground staff and other divisions within the group.
Lufthansa cancels 670 flights due to strikes
Mar 21, 2013 03:51 EDT
German airline Lufthansa said Thursday it has cancelled more than 670 European flights owing to warning strikes by ground staff and other divisions within the group.
Temelin, a Czech village overshadowed by disputed nuclear plant
Mar 20, 2013 14:51 EDT
Flanked by Germany, which is phasing out nuclear power, and Austria, which has already done so, the Czech Republic is pinning its future on atomic energy.
Khamenei urges Iran to stand up to sanctions
Mar 20, 2013 14:17 EDT
Iran began the Persian New Year on Wednesday with its most senior leader asking the people to stand up to piling Western economic sanctions and also warning that the pressure was unlikely to ease.
Facts from the Wikipedia page:
| Federal Republic of Germany
Bundesrepublik Deutschland (German)
| ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||
| Motto: Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit translated: “Unity and Justice and Freedom” | ||||||
| Anthem: Third stanza of Das Lied der Deutschen (also called "Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit") | ||||||
 Location of Germany (dark green)
– on the European continent (light green & dark grey) | ||||||
| Capital (and largest city) | Berlin 52°31′N 13°23′E / 52.517°N 13.383°E | |||||
| Official languages | German[1] | |||||
| Ethnic groups | 91.5% German, 2.4% Turkish, 6.1% other[1] | |||||
| Demonym | German | |||||
| Government | Federal Parliamentary republic | |||||
| - | President | Horst Köhler (CDU) | ||||
| - | Chancellor | Angela Merkel (CDU) | ||||
| Formation | ||||||
| - | Holy Roman Empire | 962 | ||||
| - | Unification | 18 January 1871 | ||||
| - | Federal Republic | 23 May 1949 | ||||
| - | Reunification | 3 October 1990 | ||||
| EU accession | 25 March 1957 | |||||
| Area | ||||||
| - | Total | 357,021 km2 (63rd) 137,847 sq mi | ||||
| - | Water (%) | 2.416 | ||||
| Population | ||||||
| - | December 31, 2008 estimate | 82,060,000[2] (14th) | ||||
| - | Density | 230/km2 (36th) 596/sq mi | ||||
| GDP (PPP) | 2008 estimate | |||||
| - | Total | $2.918 trillion[3] (5th) | ||||
| - | Per capita | $35,539[3] (21st) | ||||
| GDP (nominal) | 2008 estimate | |||||
| - | Total | $3.673 trillion[3] (4th) | ||||
| - | Per capita | $44,728[3] (19th) | ||||
| Gini (2000) | 28.3 (low) | |||||
| HDI (2007) | ▲ 0.947[4] (very high) (22nd) | |||||
| Currency | Euro (€)[2] (EUR) | |||||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | |||||
| - | Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||||
| Internet TLD | .de [3] | |||||
| Calling code | 49 | |||||
| 1 | ^ Danish, Low German, Sorbian, Romany and Frisian are officially recognised and protected by the ECRML. | |||||
| 2 | ^ Before 2002: Deutsche Mark (DEM). | |||||
| 3 | ^ Also.eu, shared with other European Union member states. | |||||
