Germany

Germany warns of border closures amid fear of COVID-19 mutations

German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned that Germany may need to consider border crossing curbs if other European countries do not act to halt the spread of the coronavirus, particularly its…

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Germany set to tighten work-from-home rules amid fears of COVID variants

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is likely to agree with regional leaders on Tuesday stricter requirements for working from home among other measures as they try to rein in the coronavirus,…

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Lufthansa reaches deal with Eurowings on jobs

Lufthansa subsidiary Eurowings will not lay off staff until March next year, trade union Verdi said on Monday, as part of efforts by the airline to rein in losses due…

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Germany finalises 2020 budget with less new debt than expected

The German government has finalised its 2020 budget with net new debt of below 150 billion euros ($181 billion), which is roughly a third less than the originally planned borrowing…

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Poll shows low support for new CDU head as Merkel successor

Only a minority of Germans back Armin Laschet as the conservative candidate to succeed Angela Merkel in elections later this year, according to new poll published on Sunday. Laschet, North…

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Germany to make sequencing coronavirus samples compulsory, urges Pfizer to stick to delivery commitments

The current level of coronavirus sequencing in Germany is not sufficient and laboratories will be obliged to sequence coronavirus samples to monitor virus mutations, Health Minister Jens Spahn said on…

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German minister says COVID curbs should be eased for vaccinated people

BERLIN, Jan 17 (Reuters) - People who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 should be allowed to go to restaurants and cinemas earlier than others, a German minister said, contradicting other…

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DHL Express sees strong start to year, Brexit challenges under control

DHL Express is off to a strong start to the year even as capacity remains tight due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with post-Brexit adjustments on track, Global CEO John Pearson…

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UPDATED: Armin Laschet elected new CDU leader

Germany's Christian Democrats elected Armin Laschet as chairman on Saturday, aiming to unify their divided party behind a new leader who they hope can succeed Angela Merkel as chancellor when…

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UPDATED: End of Merkel era begins as German CDU picks new party leader

Centrist Armin Laschet and arch-conservative Friedrich Merz went into the final round in the race to lead Germany's Christian Democrats, the party of Chancellor Angela Merkel, according to the results…

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German court halts criminal proceedings against former VW CEO

A German court in Braunschweig, Germany, said on Friday it had halted criminal proceedings against former Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn for alleged market manipulation as part of the carmaker's emissions…

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Germany worried by record COVID-19 death toll

BERLIN, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Germany recorded a new record number of deaths from the coronavirus on Thursday, prompting calls for an even tighter lockdown after the country emerged relatively…

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German public health official sees pandemic under control by year end

BERLIN, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Germany will have the coronavirus pandemic under control by the end of the year but a new, more virulent strain of the virus risks exacerbating…

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Merkel sees coronavirus lockdown until early April – Bild

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel has told lawmakers in her conservative party that she expects a lockdown in Germany to curb the spread of the coronavirus to last until…

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US Govt to tax French, German aircraft parts, wines

The US Government said it would begin collecting new duties on aircraft parts and other products from France and Germany from Tuesday after failing to resolve a 16-year dispute over…

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CureVac strikes COVID-19 vaccine alliance with Bayer

German biotech firm CureVac has agreed an alliance with drugmaker Bayer to help it seek regulatory approval for its experimental COVID-19 vaccine and distribute doses, the two companies announced. "Bayer…

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German parliament boosts security after U.S. Capitol riots

Security has been stepped up at Germany's Bundestag (lower house of parliament) after the storming of the Capitol in Washington by rioters last week, Bundestag President Wolfgang Schaeuble has told…

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German public told to ‘be patient’ over vaccine rollout

German Health Minister Jens Spahn urged the country to be patient during the long road out of the coronavirus pandemic as he responded on Saturday to criticism over the slow…

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Merkel vows to increase pace of coronavirus vaccination campaign

Berlin (dpa) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday vowed to increase the pace of a nationwide coronavirus vaccination programme. "It's been a slow start," Merkel said in her weekly podcast. "A few hundred…

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Photo Story: The police at Frankfurt Airport

Police officers wearing protective suits at the international airport in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Concerned about a new and more contagious strain of the coronavirus, the German government, like many…

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Audi reported planning to phase out combustion engines in 10-15 years

Volkswagen's premium carmaker Audi aims to phase out combustion engines and offer only electric cars in 10 to 15 years, at the latest, German weekly WirtschaftsWoche reported, citing no sources.…

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Germany’s Spahn mulls running as chancellor for Merkel’s party

German Health Minister Jens Spahn is considering putting himself forward to stand as chancellor for Angela Merkel’s conservative bloc in a September federal election, top-selling Bild daily reported on Friday.…

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Germany mulls suspending Ireland flights over virus mutation – n-tv

Germany is considering suspending flights from more countries, including Ireland, over concerns of a more transmissible COVID-19 variant, German broadcaster n-tv reported on Friday, citing government sources. The cabinet of…

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Natural disasters cause $210 billion in damage in 2020, insurer says

Natural catastrophes around the world resulted in $210 billion in damage in 2020, with the United States especially hard hit by hurricanes and wildfires, a top insurer said on Thursday.…

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German economy can get through long virus lockdown – finance minister

Europe's biggest economy can hold out through a coronavirus shutdown for a long time, German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said on Wednesday, adding he expected lower levels of government debt…

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German cabinet agrees quota for women on company boards

Germany's cabinet approved on Wednesday legislation to force larger listed companies to have at least one woman on their management boards, following years of debate over the issue. The law…

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Germany extends lockdown to end-January, adds stricter measures – Merkel – UPDATE

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany is extending its nationwide lockdown until the end of the month and introducing tougher new restrictions in an effort to curb surging coronavirus infections, Chancellor Angela…

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Germany considers delaying second COVID-19 vaccine shot

Germany was weighing on Monday whether to allow a delay in administering a second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine from BioNTech and Pfizer to make scarce supplies go further, after…

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German health ministry examining delaying second COVID-19 vaccine shot

Germany's health ministry is seeking advice on whether to delay administering a second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine from BioNTech and Pfizer to make scarce supplies go further, according to…

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Germany will extend lockdown until January 31 – report

The German government and the 16 federal states have agreed to extend the lockdown until Jan. 31 to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, Bild reported on Monday without…

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Germany poised to extend coronavirus lockdown

BERLIN, Jan 3 (Reuters) - Germany is likely to extend a national lockdown beyond Jan. 10 to curb coronavirus infection rates that are still running high and putting huge strains…

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Bayern retain top spot with comeback 5-2 win over Mainz

MUNICH, Germany (Reuters) - Champions Bayern Munich held on to the Bundesliga’s top spot after fighting back from two goals down to beat second-bottom Mainz 5-2 in a rip-roaring contest…

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Germany ‘very far away from normality’

The German health minister on Wednesday said he could not envisage a relaxation of coronavirus measures when the current set of restrictions expires on January 10. Jens Spahn said he…

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An emotional Merkel says pandemic made last year in office the hardest

Angela Merkel said in her last New Year's address to the nation as German chancellor that 2020 was by far the most difficult of her 15-year leadership, yet the start…

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Russia imposes travel ban on German officials in response to sanctions

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Tuesday it had added senior German security and intelligence officials to its list of individuals barred from entering the country, in a tit-for-tat response…

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New coronavirus variant in Germany since November – Die Welt

BERLIN (Reuters) - The new coronavirus variant discovered in Britain seems to have been present in Germany since November as doctors detected it retrospectively in samples of an older patient…

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German vaccination campaign overshadowed by mishaps

FRANKFURT/BERLIN, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Germany's COVID-19 vaccination campaign has been overshadowed by an overdose mishap in the north and problems with the transportation of the vaccine in the south…

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Lufthansa CEO expects coronavirus testing for long-haul flights

Long-haul flights on Germany's national air carrier could require a negative COVID-19 test or proof of a vaccine in the future. "Personally, I assume that in the future every passenger…

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Four injured in shooting in Berlin close to SPD’s offices

Reuters / DPA / CDE - Several people suffered gunshot wounds in the Kreuzberg district of Berlin early Saturday in undisclosed circumstances, police said. The unidentified assailants fled the scene,…

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Before Christmas, German crematorium struggles with COVID-19 deaths

MEISSEN, Germany (Reuters) - A German crematorium in the eastern state of Saxony, which has been hit hard by the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, is struggling to keep…

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German airline Lufthansa reaches deal with pilots on cost savings

Lufthansa and its pilots have reached an agreement that secures jobs until end-March 2022 and could help reduce costs by as much as 450 million euros ($548 million), pilots' union…

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German daily COVID deaths toll nears 1,000 a week into lockdown

Germany reported a record daily coronavirus death toll of 962 on Wednesday, a week after the start of a hard lockdown that has forced most stores as well as hair…

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In Germany, Coronavirus becomes a board game

WIESBADEN, Germany (Reuters) - At a loose end during Germany's first lockdown, the four Schwaderlapp sisters decided to put their long hours indoors to good use - by inventing a…

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German economy to shrink 1%

The second hard lockdown imposed in response to a surge in coronavirus infections will hit the German economy this winter, the DIW research institute said, forecasting that output would fall…

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German doctor says anti-vaxxers should forgo ventilators

People who refuse the COVID-19 vaccine should not be able to access ventilators and other emergency measures if they become ill, a member of Germany's Ethics Council told the mass…

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Germany to Iran: Don’t waste chance for rapprochement with U.S.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Monday urged Iran not to waste the opportunity offered by the prospect of Joseph Biden's United States administration returning to the nuclear non-proliferation deal.…

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Deutsche Post halts parcel deliveries to Britain and Ireland

Deutsche Post DHL said it was halting all deliveries of parcels to Britain because of transport restrictions put in place by many countries following a new, apparently more virulent strain…

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Germany has not yet identified coronavirus mutation reported in Britain – minister

BERLIN, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Germany has not detected the new coronavirus strain that has been identified in Britain, Health Minister Jens Spahn told public broadcaster ARD on Sunday. "It…

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See each other by video call this Christmas, Merkel tells Germans

Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Germans on Saturday to avoid visiting family members over Christmas and to use video calls instead for greetings, the way service members stationed abroad do, as…

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Angela Merkel’s coronavirus address honoured as ‘Speech of the Year’

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's speech on March 18 calling on people in Germany to take the coronavirus pandemic seriously has been selected as the "Speech of the Year" for 2020 by a…

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Germany to roll out BioNTech/Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on Dec. 27

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany will roll out the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against COVID-19 on Dec. 27, with priority given to the elderly in care homes, Berlin city government said on Wednesday.…

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Germany’s private sector shows resilience before stricter lockdown -PMI

Germany's private sector showed resilience in December as manufacturing picked up steam and services partly recovered ahead of a stricter lockdown to contain a second wave of coronavirus infections, a…

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Germany paves way for electronic securities to reap blockchain fruits

Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet on Wednesday passed new legislation to introduce all-electronic securities as part of its wider blockchain strategy, finance ministry said. The law eases rules that until now…

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Photo Story: Christmas traditions adapt to changing times

An employee holds Christmas chocolate figures with face masks made of white chocolate at the chocolate factory 'Confiserie Felicitas' in Hornow near Spremberg (Spree-Neisse), Germany. Confiserie Felicitas is a family…

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German coronavirus deaths hit new high as lockdown starts

Germany entered a strict lockdown on Wednesday in an effort to get soaring coronavirus cases under control as the number of registered deaths from COVID-19 jumped by 952, the highest…

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Germany pushes EU to approve vaccine before Christmas

Germany continued to pile pressure on the EU's regulatory agency, asking it to approve a coronavirus vaccine before Christmas, The Guardian reported this morning. “Our goal is an approval before…

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Germans deprived of mulled wine in Christmas lockdown

ROTHENBURG OB DER TAUBER, Germany (Reuters) - Germany’s tightened lockdown measures have eliminated one remnant of seasonal frivolity: “Gluehwein” or mulled wine, a staple of Christmas markets usually served in…

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