Yes, Germans will grumble aboout being on the financial hook for their profligate cousins down south,...But Berlin will ensure that it happens. With great financial responsibility comes even greater power. Merkel now has the opportunity to recreate Europe in Germany's image.

The four-day tour...was dogged by controversy and protest. Demonstrations in central Berlin were a reminder that among Germany's 24.6 million-strong Catholic community a sense of shock and betrayal lingers from last year's revelation of hundreds of cases of sexual and physical abuse of children by German priests and church employees.

Expect to see all of these fixtures of German culture transplanted in Vandalia on Sept. 9, 10, and 11 when the Oktoberfest comes to the Crossroads of America. Hosted by Sister Cities of Vandalia at the Sports Complex on 1101 Stonequarry Rd., this event is patterned after the two-week festival held annually in Munich, Germany.

“The Sunshine Policy had been the most effective tool that influenced North Korea. All the changes in North Korea we see now are the results of the Sunshine Policy, including marketization, consumerism and increased dependency on external input,”...

According to Schmachtel who has been nominated as the cluster President for its first year, “EUNIC was formed in 2006 and has a reputation as Europe’s leading cultural relations practitioner to create lasting partnerships between professionals and to forge greater understanding and awareness of various European culture and to encourage language study.

Artists that have been based in Berlin for 3 years or more are being offered the opportunity to be inspired by living in a new culture, with funding from the state.... The project is envisioned as a cultural exchange programme and the length of time to spend in each particular country varies.

The Israeli Chamber Orchestra will break with tradition to play a work by Hitler's favourite composer, Richard Wagner, in Germany. It is rare for Israeli musicians to play the anti-Semitic composer's work, which was appropriated by the Nazis. Musical director Roberto Paternostro said that while Wagner's ideology was "terrible", the aim was "to divide the man from his art".