Right-wing populist parties are everywhere in Europe. But in Germany, home to controversial Islamophobe Thilo Sarrazin, the right side of the political spectrum is decidedly vacant. Why?

In Washington, the Israelis and Palestinians are discussing peace, but in the Jewish settlements in the West Bank, construction is proceeding at full speed. A legal ban is being ignored and the government is looking away. The thousands of new homes could hinder reconciliation.

Following his disparaging comments in the media and a new book that is highly critical of Muslim immigrants, it is expected that Thilo Sarrazin will lose his seat on the board of Germany's central bank. Commentators at the country's leading newspapers examine the integration issues he has raised and wonder if the pressure to fire Sarrazin will harm the Bundesbank's independence.

Has US policy become too European in its approach to fighting the crisis? A German economist's criticism of President Obama's European-style stimulus package has prompted a flood of letters from SPIEGEL ONLINE readers. Here's a selection of the best comments.

In an interview with a leading Turkish newspaper, German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday described anti-immigrant statements made by central bank board member Thilo Sarrazin as "absurd" and said that "groups in our society feel injured." A chorus of politicians in Germany are calling for a national debate on integration.

Berlin's iconic Tacheles arts center is threatened with eviction despite becoming a city landmark and major tourist destination. In an interview with SPIEGEL ONLINE, Harvard professor Svetlana Boym talks about Tacheles' role in Berlin's post-reunification identity and how activists can shape the urban environment by taking over unused spaces.

France's ongoing deportation of Roma has been making headlines around the globe. But Gitans -- as Roma are known in France -- have been living in the country for centuries. A new photo exhibition reveals the life of Roma in the St. Jacques quarter of Perpignan.

Legend has it that almost a century ago a series of railway wagons stuffed with gold sank into the depths of a lake in Siberia. This week, researchers, exploring the depths by submarine, may have found the Russian royals' lost gold.

Twenty years after it was squatted by a group of artists, Berlin's legendary Tacheles arts center faces the threat of closure. The building, which became famous as part of the city's heady 1990s counterculture, has become the symbol of a new struggle against gentrification in Berlin.

The German central bank has formally asked German President Christian Wulff to remove controversial executive board member Thilo Sarrazin from the bank leadership following his disparaging comments about Muslim immigrants and his claim that all Jews share a specific gene.

When natural disasters, like floods in Pakistan or earthquakes in Haiti, strike, Munich Re, the world's largest reinsurance company, ends up paying part of the bill. Munich Re offers capitalism a safety net, and no other company is more familiar with life's risks.

The Obama administration and the Federal Reserve want to fix the United States economy by spending more money. But while that approach might work for Europe, it is risky for the US. The nation would be better off embracing traditional American values like self-reliance and small government.

Concerned citizens in the German city of Aschaffenburg alerted police when a pensioner began handing out cash to passers-by on the street. But apparently the man just wanted to celebrate his retirement.

As the first direct talks between Israelis and Palestinians in two years get underway in Washington, President Barack Obama says he is "cautiously hopeful" about finding a solution for the Middle East. German editorialists on Thursday, however, are more circumspect about his chances.

Germany's national railway has long resented the fact that its high-speed ICE trains are not allowed to operate through the Channel Tunnel. But a test run is planned for October and, if rules are eased, the company could be on track to introduce passenger services direct from Cologne to London in time for the 2012 Olympics.

Austrian police are investigating a video game released by the right-wing Freedom Party, the former political home of the late Jörg Haider, that invites players to stop the construction of minarets and mosques. But the politician behind the campaign answers his critics with: "We'd rather have Sarrazin than a muezzin."

A new round of Middle East peace talks begin Thursday in Washington. Expectations have never been so low, but that also presents an opportunity for progress between the Israelis and Palestinians. SPIEGEL ONLINE analyzes the main issues at the talks.

Iraq's poorest people live on trash heaps, sleep amongst the rats and drink polluted water. In the country with the world's third largest oil reserves, a million people live in misery, despite the fact that the US has spent $53 billion on the country's reconstruction efforts.