Updated 10:12 am PDT, Saturday, September 15, 2018 FILE - In this July 15, 2018, stewards pull Pyotr Verzilov, a member of the feminist protest group Pussy Riot off the pitch after he stormed onto the field and interrupted the final match between France and Croatia at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia. Russian news reports say Verzilov a member of Russian punk protest group Pussy Riot has been hospitalized in grave condition for what could be a possible poisoning. less FILE - In this July 15, 2018, stewards pull Pyotr Verzilov, a member of the feminist protest group Pussy Riot off the pitch after he stormed onto the field and interrupted the final match between France and ... more Photo: Martin Meissner, AP FILE - In this Sunday, July 15, 2018 file photo, Croatia's Dejan Lovren and a steward grab Pyotr Verzilov, who invaded the pitch during the France and Croatia 2018 World … [Read more...] about Severely ill Pussy Riot member to be treated in Germany
Germany
The long and the short of it: Germany’s two delightful destinations for dachshund lovers
By Diane Daniel, Washington Post Published 4:35 pm CDT, Friday, September 14, 2018 Dackelmuseum owners Oliver Storz, left, and Seppi Kublbeck, with their dachshunds Moni, left, and Little Seppi Dackelmuseum owners Oliver Storz, left, and Seppi Kublbeck, with their dachshunds Moni, left, and Little Seppi Photo: Selina Kok, For The Washington Post / For The Washington Post Esmeralda, a 2-year-old wirehaired dachshund from Moscow, is enjoying yappy hour at the Teckel Hotel after a day that included hiking to a glacier and riding a gondola. Esmeralda, a 2-year-old wirehaired dachshund from Moscow, is enjoying yappy hour at the Teckel Hotel after a day that included hiking to a glacier and riding a gondola. Photo: Selina Kok, For The Washington Post / For The Washington Post The Teckel Hotel, in a ski area in the Alps, caters to dachshunds and … [Read more...] about The long and the short of it: Germany’s two delightful destinations for dachshund lovers
Germany says ready to contribute to Syria rebuilding
German foreign minister Heiko Maas at the Bundestag on Wednesday. Photo: DPA Germany is ready to contribute to rebuilding Syria if a political solution was found for fair elections in the country, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Friday. Hours before the minister was due to meet his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Berlin, Maas appeared to answer a request made by Russian President Vladimir Putin in August for Europe to step up in reconstructing Syria. "If there's a political solution in Syria that leads to free elections, then we are ready to take on the responsibility of reconstruction," wrote Maas on Twitter. "It is in our interest for Syria to be a stable country. For that, reconstruction is necessary. And we have an important role in that." At the same time, Maas also underlined Berlin's demand for Moscow to use its influence to get President Bashar al-Assad to back off from a looming major offensive against opposition-held Idlib. "I will impress upon my colleague … [Read more...] about Germany says ready to contribute to Syria rebuilding
Small flats are on the rise in Germany, leaving city dwellers increasingly cramped
If you are looking for a place to live in a big German city, you might have to say goodbye to your wish for a dream home. It now costs €1150 to rent a 60 square metre apartment in Cologne and €1100 for only 38 square metres in Munich. Tiny, student-like flats are becoming more and more acceptable. “This is how it goes. We have to save on square metres,” says a real-estate expert from the Cologne Institute of the German Economy, Michael Voigtländer. A city like Munich is the forerunner rather than the exception. “Only a few years ago we generally preferred big apartments to small ones”, continues Voigtländer. Since then however, city dwellers have been living in increasingly small spaces, with generously-sized homes only affordable in more rural areas. “Many would prefer to live in a larger apartment, but they cannot afford it”, says Thomas Bauer, Vice-President of the Federal Association of German Industry (BDI). According to … [Read more...] about Small flats are on the rise in Germany, leaving city dwellers increasingly cramped
Splashdown in Berlin: Exploring the waterways of Germany’s capital city
It was only after my son turned his back to the water and jumped off the 5-meter platform, his arms reaching into space, his legs flying up and over in an inversion that rang alarm bells deep in my Dad brain, that I realized he was attempting a backflip from high above the Müggelsee, Berlin’s largest lake. This was a new trick — we’re not really a backflipping kind of family — and there was just enough time for me to think about travel insurance and why 13-year-old boys seem drawn to risk like moths to a blowtorch before he splashed into the lake, mostly upright. Emergency averted, I took the long view: As long as no one ends up in a body cast, throwing ourselves into summer is why we’re here, right? My wife and I took our two sons to Berlin in early August hoping to catch some of the city’s summertime vibe. During the fall of 2016, we’d spent part of a sabbatical in the city. The beaches were closed for the season by the time we showed … [Read more...] about Splashdown in Berlin: Exploring the waterways of Germany’s capital city