Letter from Berlin, City of “Volatility” (6/15)

michaelmosettigBy Michael D. Mosettig, former Foreign Editor PBS News Hour, writing from Berlin

Berlin  --  The bikes and their riders are among the first things to catch the attention of a Berlin visitor. The handlebars and seats are higher than on most American bikes ,and the riders take on a stately posture and gait, more like Lady Mary in Downton Abbey riding sidesaddle on her horse than Washington and New York cyclists who often look and act as if they are competing in the Tour de France. Of course, one other thing becomes apparent. In ten days, I never saw a biker run a red light.

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EU Formulates Action Plan on Refugee Migration Crisis (5/19)

By Laura Kayali, European Affairs Editorial Assistant

EU foreign and defense ministers agreed on May 18 to take military action and initiate a naval operation in the Mediterranean Sea, to destroy the vessels of migrants’ traffickers before they can launch more hazardous transports. Although High Representative Frederica Mogherini is still in talks with the UN to assess if such measures would be in accordance with international law, this decision embodies the EU’s readiness and willingness to tackle what Ban Ki-moon called “the worst humanitarian crisis since World War II” – the issue of Mediterranean migrants.

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