Germany

UPDATED: Germany’s Merz wins vote for chancellor after surviving historic defeat

German conservative leader Friedrich Merz has won a parliament vote to become Germany's next chancellor at the second attempt. Merz had initially fallen six votes short of the absolute majority…

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Germany’s Merz to form government after SPD backs coalition deal with conservatives

Germany’s coalition government is set to take power after the Social Democrats (SPD) voted to join forces with the CDU/CSU conservatives, clearing the way for Friedrich Merz to become chancellor…

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Germany says it will step up military role in NATO amid increased uncertainty

NATO can count on Berlin to step up its contribution to the defence of Europe as the Atlantic alliance faces a future more uncertain than 70 years ago when Germany…

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Merz Names New Foreign Minister

Johann Wadephul, a veteran conservative and defense policy expert, is set to become Germany’s next foreign minister at a crucial juncture in Europe’s relationship with traditional allies and adversaries. His…

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German doctor charged with murder of 15 patients

A German palliative care doctor has been charged with murdering 15 of his patients using a cocktail of lethal drugs. Prosecutors in Berlin have accused the 40-year-old of setting fire…

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New German coalition to abolish 3-year citizenship path

The next German government consisting of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU)/Christian Social Union (CSU) alliance and the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) will abolish a 3-year expedited path to citizenship…

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Germany is back, says Merz, after sealing government deal

Germany's conservatives under Friedrich Merz have reached a deal with the Social Democrats to govern Europe's biggest economy, five months after the previous government collapsed. Merz, 69, said their agreement…

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Far-right Alternative for Germany leads opinion poll for first time

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) on Wednesday finished top of a German opinion poll for the first time, hours before the next governing coalition in Berlin was set to…

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UPDATED: Germany temporarily halts resettlement of UN refugees

Germany has temporarily suspended any further admission of refugees via a UN resettlement programme, the dpa news agency reported on Tuesday, citing the interior ministry and the UN refugee agency…

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Global crackdown on Kidflix, a major child sexual exploitation platform with almost two million users

Kidflix, one of the largest paedophile platforms in the world, has been shut down in an international operation against child sexual exploitation. The investigation was supported by Europol and led…

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Germany’s military faces severe staffing shortages and aging personnel

An official report on the state of the German military painted a grim picture this week, with a whopping 28% of positions among the lower enlisted ranks unfilled as of…

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Germany’s Merz wants European nuclear weapons to boost US shield

German Chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz on Sunday said he would like talks with France and Britain about sharing their nuclear weapons, but not as a substitute for U.S. nuclear protection of…

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Germany’s next government wants to do ‘whatever it takes’ to boost defence

The prospective partners in Germany’s next government have said they will seek to loosen rules on running up debt to allow for higher defence spending. Centre-right election winner Friedrich Merz,…

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Mannheim attack: ‘It’s daily news now, here in Germany’

Like many towns and cities in Germany's western states this week, Mannheim should be full of revelers celebrating the final colorful and joyous days of the annual Carnival season. Though its…

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German police on alert after ISIS calls for carnival attacks

Police are on high alert ahead of Germany’s traditional carnival celebrations this week after social media connected to the ISIS militant group called for attacks targeting revelers in Cologne and…

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German election: Merz’s CDU wins election, AfD second

Friedrich Merz's CDU/CSU conservative alliance has won the general election with 28.6% of the vote, according to preliminary results announced by Germany's federal electoral body. The far-right Alternative for Germany…

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German voters demand change as Europe’s biggest economy stalls

Germany's economic model, once driven by cheap Russian gas and strong exports to China, is no longer sustainable, leaving the country in stagnation and uncertainty. Developing a new growth strategy…

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UPDATED: Man drives into crowd in Munich, Perpetrator must be punished and leave the country, German leader says

Munich police said Thursday afternoon there was no public danger after a car drove into a group of people earlier in the day in the capital city of Germany's southern state…

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Germany offers maternity leave for women after miscarriage

The German Bundestag, or lower house of parliament, on Thursday evening passed a law that extends maternity leave protection to women who suffer a miscarriage after 13 weeks of pregnancy.…

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Merkel Criticises Leader of Her CDU Party for Cooperating With German Far-Right

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel criticised the leader of her Christian Democrats (CDU), Friedrich Merz, for drawing on support from the far-right to pass a motion in parliament, in a…

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As Holocaust is commemorated, Jewish groups warn of rising antisemitism

On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, on January 27, people remember the six million Jews and millions of other victims of Nazi persecution during WWII. Monday marks the 80th anniversary of…

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Violent human traffickers halted in Germany and Hungary

The German Criminal Inspectorate (Karlsruhe Kriminalinspektion) and the Hungarian National Bureau of Investigation THB Unit (Nemzeti Nyomozó Iroda Emberkereskedelem Elleni Osztály), supported by Europol, have dismantled a criminal network involved…

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UPDATED: Two killed in German park in stabbing attack; Afghan suspect arrested

A 28-year-old man from Afghanistan was arrested following a knife attack on Wednesday in a park in Bavarian town of Aschaffenburg in which two people were killed, including a toddler,…

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Germany and US have long been allies – that could change with Trump

By Sylvia Taschka, Professor of Teaching of History, Wayne State University Less than 24 hours after Donald Trump was elected president of the United States in November 2024, the German…

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Currently ‘no prospect’ of charges against Madeleine McCann suspect: German prosecutor

The German prosecutor investigating the disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann has said there is currently no prospect of charges being brought against the main suspect in the case, Sky…

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Foot-and-mouth outbreak in Germany forces meat and dairy export ban

Germany is facing international restrictions on its meat and dairy exports following its first outbreak of highly contagious foot-and-mouth disease in over 30 years. As a result, the EU's largest…

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AfD embraces mass deportation of migrants as German election nears

Germany's far-right party, Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), is on the rise, buoyed by recent regional successes and its radicalised agenda. At its conference in Riesa, Saxony, the party outlined plans…

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German police investigate suspected Russian espionage at military bases

German police have launched an investigation into suspected cases of Russian espionage after drones were spotted over several military installations in Bavaria, according to a statement on Monday. Against the…

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Musk hosts German far-right leader on X, stirs angst about election meddling

Elon Musk urged Germans to vote for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in an upcoming national election during a broadcast he hosted with the party's leader on his social…

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Two police officers in Berlin injured in explosion

Two police officers have been injured, one seriously, following an explosion on Thursday night outside a police building in Berlin. Authorities in the German capital said the officers were on a routine security…

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Olaf Scholz: German election ‘will not be decided by social media owners’

The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has urged voters not to let the “owners of social media channels” decide next year’s snap election, after Elon Musk repeatedly endorsed the far-right party…

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What is known so far about the Magdeburg market attack

Here is what we know so far about the man who was arrested as the suspected driver in a car-ramming attack on Friday at a Christmas market in the German…

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Scholz loses confidence vote against his government, triggering early elections

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has lost a confidence vote in parliament, leading to its dissolution and the call for fresh national elections. The result clears the way for snap elections…

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German Christmas markets get creative as prices hit new highs

For Eva Henschke, Germany's Christmas markets are a chance to temporarily forget about the colder, darker days with a hot mug of mulled wine or eggnog and a bratwurst off…

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Three parties combine to keep victorious far-right at bay in east German state

Three parties in the eastern German state of Thuringia joined forces on Thursday to keep the election-winning Alternative for Germany out of power, electing as state premier a conservative who…

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Germany’s SPD nominates Scholz as chancellor candidate

Germany's ruling Social Democrats officially made Chancellor Olaf Scholz their lead candidate for February's election, billing him as a safe pair of hands compared with the opposition conservatives contender who…

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Germany draws up list of bunkers amid Russia tensions

Germany is drawing up a list of bunkers that could provide emergency shelter for civilians, the interior ministry has said, at a time of rising tensions with Russia. The list…

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At least 20 people were arrested in major European people smuggling sting

In a significant blow to human trafficking networks, authorities across Europe conducted a coordinated operation targeting a Syrian-organised crime group involved in one of the continent’s largest people smuggling rings.…

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Germany’s Scholz calls for compromise as opposition leader lays out election bid

During the first Bundestag session since the collapse of Germany's ruling coalition last week, the leader of the largest opposition party, Friedrich Merz, outlined his vision for the country's future…

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Germany’s SPD, Greens, conservatives propose Feb 23 for election

Germany's Social Democrats, Greens and conservatives have proposed Feb. 23 as a date for a new election, sources told Reuters on Tuesday. The Rheinische Post newspaper first reported the date.…

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Germany may hold election sooner than planned, Scholz says

Olaf Scholz could hold a vote of confidence in his leadership that would pave the way for new elections sooner than planned, he said Sunday night following pressure from across…

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German voters and opposition keep heat on Scholz for early election

Germany's main opposition leader Friedrich Merz criticised Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday as "irresponsible" for delaying early elections, as an opinion poll also showed voters in favour of an early…

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German coalition collapses: What comes next?

Germany's coalition collapsed on Wednesday as Chancellor Olaf Scholz sacked his finance minister and paved the way for a snap election, triggering political chaos in Europe's largest economy hours after…

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German President: I am prepared to call new elections

Germany's President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Thursday he was prepared to dissolve parliament and clear the way for new elections following the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's three-way coalition, warning…

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Germany faces snap election as Scholz’s coalition crumbles

Germany's ruling coalition collapsed on Wednesday as Chancellor Olaf Scholz sacked his finance minister and paved the way for a snap election, triggering political chaos in Europe's largest economy hours…

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Germany’s cabinet approves draft law on voluntary military service

Germany's cabinet on Wednesday approved a draft law that would allow the army to gauge the readiness of the country's 18-year-olds to serve in the Bundeswehr as it looks to…

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Germany arrests eight suspected members of right-wing group plotting revolt

German police have arrested eight suspected members of a right-wing militant group driven by racist ideology and conspiracy theories who had been training in warfare for the downfall of the…

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Why is Germany’s coalition under strain and could it fall apart?

The parties in Germany's ruling coalition are under pressure to assert themselves after regional election defeats, dismal polling numbers and questions over whether they can form a joint response to…

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Manhunt under way in Berlin after bag of explosives left at train station

German police are searching for a man who abandoned a bag of explosives at a Berlin train station and ran away after being stopped by federal officers, according to police.…

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Volkswagen labour chief sounds alarm on mass layoffs, three German plant closures

Volkswagen plans to shut at least three factories in Germany, lay off tens of thousands of staff and shrink its remaining plants in Europe's biggest economy as it plots a…

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Germany’s Scholz pledges to boost investment, attract more skilled workers

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised this week to boost investment, attract skilled workers and cut red tape to revive growth in Europe's biggest economy, which is on track to contract…

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Britain and Germany to bolster defence cooperation with new agreement

Britain and Germany will sign a defence agreement on Wednesday, the first of its kind between Europe's two biggest spenders on defence, which includes a commitment to develop new deep-strike…

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Germany identifies its first case of new mpox variant

The first case of the new mpox variant has been detected in Germany, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for public health said on Tuesday, adding that it viewed the risk…

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Germany arrests Libyan suspected of planning terror attack on Israeli embassy

Germany arrested a Libyan citizen suspected of plotting an attack against Israel’s embassy in Berlin, the federal prosecutor’s office said. The authorities identified the man only as Omar A. and…

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Joe Biden visits Germany with US elections looming

US President Joe Biden has arrived in Germany ahead of talks with European leaders about support for Ukraine's war against Russia and the Middle East conflict. Air Force One landed…

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Germany investigates fires caused by incendiary devices in parcels

Germany is investigating several fires caused by incendiary devices hidden inside parcels at a warehouse in Leipzig earlier this year, the country's prosecutor general said on Tuesday. German authorities warned…

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Relaxation of Apostrophe Rules in German Sparks Debate Over English Influence

Recent changes to the rules governing apostrophe use in the German language have sparked a heated debate, irritating grammar purists and raising concerns about the creeping influence of English. The…

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