Germany on Thursday pushed back against U.S. criticism of its trade surplus, saying ahead of global finance talks in Washington that nobody could blame Berlin for the competitiveness of ‘Made in Germany’ products. Economy Minister Brigitte Zypries said the government had only limited influence on trade flows. Source Reuters
Once a sign of the might of the French Socialists, the party’s grand headquarters in central Paris have been put up for sale following the electoral drubbing suffered by the leftwingers this year. The Local
Passengers were “lucky” to escape without injuries after a bus with several people on board was shot at in Malmö.
The back window of the bus was broken while driving through the Arlöv area on Thursday evening, and police are working on the theory that the shots were fired by a real weapon, not an airgun. A library and a residential home were also hit. The Local
Investors in Venezuelan securities are breathing a sigh of relief after the government once again made good on its promise to pay foreign bondholders. The nation, one of the world’s riskiest debtors, said yesterday it was having difficulty wiring a $185 million interest payment that was due Sept. 15. Officials confirmed Thursday that the money was on its way to bondholders. Source Bloomberg
