Merkel censures ratings agencies
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Angela Merkel criticises ratings agencies for not spotting firms with serious credit problems.
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"Obviously we take that very seriously indeed. ... Any intimidation or harassment of officials is obviously completely unacceptable."  A British cultural organization accused Russian authorities on Wednesday of harassing its staff and said it had temporarily closed its offices in St. Petersburg.The British Council, which acts as the cultural arm of the British Embassy, said the director of its St. Petersburg office was followed and stopped by Russian law enforcement authorities and that intelligence agency officials had interviewed its Russian employees.British Foreign Secretary David Miliband described the Russian actions as an attack on the council. Britain's Foreign Office said Russia's ambassador to London was summoned for talks with British officials. Read more
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COLOGNE, Germany  - Germany's public broadcaster has fired a conservative talk show host who praised the Nazis' "family values," a decision that drew praise from the media and high-ranking politicians.
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Berlin&#39;s authorities have banned an Islamic conference which they say planned to lend support to violent attacks on Israelis and Americans.
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United Financial Group (UFJ), the Japanese bank, has been banned by the Financial Services Agency (FSA) from making loans to large companies in both of the countryâs two biggest industrial centres as punishment for deceiving inspectors during an
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By Madeline ChambersBERLIN - German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned on Wednesday against bowing to fears of Islamic violence after a Berlin opera house canceled performances of a Mozart work because of concerns ...Comment
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Some say the decision to shutter branches reduces the agency's capability to review industry submissions.
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Germany's interior minister condemned a leading opera house's decision to cancel a production of Mozart's "Idomeneo" out of concern a scene featuring the severed head of the Prophet Muhammad could provoke a dangerous reaction from Muslims.
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Google is threatening to shut down Gmail in Germany after the country's legislature came close to approving surveillance of communications over the Internet.
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Signaling it can no longer vouch for the fiscal health of America&#39;s seventh-largest city, a major Wall Street credit-rating agency Monday suspended its ratings for San Diego because officials
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Siemens, the German engineering company, banned its sales managers from using consultants for winning new orders after an investigation into whether money was embezzled through such agreements to bribe customers. âWe decided to introduce a general ban on the use of consultant agreements in our sales organization,â a spokeswoman, Monika Bruecklmeier, said. Exceptions can be granted only through the companyâs head of compliance, she said. An investigation of such payments has spread to at least six countries and forced the company to review 420 million euros ($544 million) in payments, and has put pressure on Siemens to explain how the suspected system of bribes went unchecked by top management.
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative party appeared to have lost a key state election Sunday after a bitterly divisive campaign dominated by crime and immigration, exit polls indicated.
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A prominent Jewish rights group on Monday gave Germany an "inadequate" rating for the first time for sluggish prosecution of suspected Nazi war criminals after previously topping the annual rankings of 26 nations.
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"I referred to him as a political prostitute, now that he's taking big checks from (Russian President Vladimir) Putin. But the sex workers in my district objected, so I will no longer use that phrase"  A leading Democratic lawmaker lashed out at the former leaders of Germany and France, calling former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder a `political prostitute.' Germany denounced the remarks by Rep. via York News-Times
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China rejected on Sunday a German  magazine report that computer hackers believed to be linked to  the Chinese army had infected German government ministries with  spying programs.
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When Germany's consumer watchdog flunked the country's honey makers, the report got producers and tea drinkers buzzing.
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Ill will for shills Business people who write fake reviews of their own products will fall foul of new European laws from next year. Laws banning businesses from misleading consumers will bar the act.â¦