Germany

Lufthansa says up to 26,000 employees at risk of losing jobs

Lufthansa admitted on Wednesday that the positions of up to 26,000 employees are surplus to requirements, suggesting many more jobs will be cut at the German carrier than a figure…

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Germany extends travel warnings for 160 countries

The German government extended travel warnings for 160 countries until the end of August on Wednesday, according to a decision reached by the German Cabinet. The travel warnings, which do…

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Germany to ease restrictions on seasonal workers

Germany will from next week relax entry restrictions for seasonal workers introduced to slow the spread of the coronavirus, a government source said on Wednesday. Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet approved…

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Germany to end border controls with France, Austria, Denmark on June 15

Germany will lift border controls with Switzerland, France, Austria and Denmark on June 15, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said on Wednesday, adding the government would reconsider if the coronavirus situation…

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Continental CEO warns staff of possible lay offs

German automotive supplier Continental must save hundreds of millions of euros in costs and will probably have to lay off workers due to a slump in demand caused by the…

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Germany ready to accept migrants from Malta, Italy

German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer indicated on Wednesday that Germany will recommit to accepting migrants rescued in the Mediterranean Sea from Malta and Italy following a pause during the coronavirus pandemic. Seehofer,…

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Putin and Merkel discuss Syria, Libya, Ukraine in phone call

Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed Syria's humanitarian aid needs in a telephone call, the Kremlin said in a statement on Tuesday. Putin and Merkel also…

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Germany to extend travel ban for non-European until August 31st

Germany plans to extend a travel ban for non-European countries until Aug. 31, government sources told Reuters on Tuesday, adding Berlin was also strongly advising against any cruises due to…

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New suspect told friends in Germany ‘Madeleine is dead’

Christian Brückner , who has been identified as thee new suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, told friends “the child is now dead” when the missing three-year-old came up…

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Lufthansa introduces “homecoming guarantee”

Passengers returning to Germany from abroad amid the coronavirus pandemic will have a “homecoming guarantee” if they fly with Lufthansa, the company’s CEO Carsten Spohr said. “We’re introducing a homecoming…

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5-year old Inga G. is missing girl linked to McCann’s suspect murderer

An undated handout photo made available by the Saxony-Anhalt police of 5-year-old girl Inga G. who has been missing since 02 May 2015 (reissued 05 June 2020). According to reports,…

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Confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increase by 407

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 407 to 183,678, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Friday. The reported death toll…

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German police investigating new Madeleine McCann suspect over third missing child

German police are said to be investigating the new Madeleine McCann suspect for possible involvement in the disappearance of a boy in Portugal in 1996. They are re-examining the disappearance…

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New suspect in Madeleine McCann case also investigated over missing German girl

The new suspect in the Madeleine McCann case has also been investigated over the disappearance of a German girl, according to German media reports. The 43-year-old German man, named in…

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Half of German companies postponed investments in May

Half of companies in Germany postponed investments in May while 28% cancelled investment projects completely as the coronavirus pandemic takes its toll, a survey by economic institute Ifo showed on…

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SIG Sauer to close German weapons factory

SIG Sauer announced it intended by year's end to close its factory at Eckernförde near Kiel, capital of Germany's northernmost state of Schleswig-Holstein. It blamed "locational handicaps" hindering its diverse…

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Merkel dismisses talk she might seek 5th term

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday firmly rejected suggestions that she might seek a fifth term at the helm after pledging in 2018 to step down when her current government…

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German coalition parties agree 130 billion euro stimulus package

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s ruling coalition on Wednesday agreed a bumper stimulus package to speed up Germany’s recovery from the coronavirus. Speaking at a news conference after marathon talks that extended…

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Lufthansa vows company revamp as losses balloon

Lufthansa vowed to step up up restructuring measures after posting a first-quarter net loss of 2.1 billion euros ($2.35 billion), days after agreeing a state bail-out amid the fallout from…

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German carmakers become more upbeat about exports, production

German carmakers became more optimistic about their prospects for production and exports in May, a survey by the Ifo economic institute showed on Wednesday, a ray of hope for the…

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Britons drive up number of foreigners obtaining German citizenship

Britons drove up an increase in the number of foreigners obtaining German citizenship last year, with more naturalised than in any year since Britain's 2016 referendum vote to leave the…

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Germany plans to allow European travel from June 15

Germany will lift a travel ban for European Union member states plus Britain, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland from 15 June as long as there are no entry bans or…

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Lufthansa posts a net loss of 2.1 billion euros

German airline Lufthansa posted a net loss of 2.1 billion euros ($2.35 billion) in the first quarter, writing down the value of assets as the coronavirus pandemic hits the travel…

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European cloud computing platform taking shape

A proposed European cloud computing platform that seeks to break the continent's reliance on Silicon Valley will take shape in the coming weeks when a group of 22 French and…

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German manufacturing output contracts again in May

Germany's manufacturing sector continued to contract in May as factories facing weak demand because of the coronavirus pandemic laid off staff, according to a survey published on Monday that showed…

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Germany identifies 333 new coronavirus cases

Public health authorities in Germany said Monday that 333 new coronavirus infections have been identified in the past 24 hours. Eleven deaths were reported during that time, according to the…

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Merkel refuses Trump’s G7 US meeting invite – POLITICO

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has refused to accept U.S. President Donald Trump's invitation to attend an envisaged summit of the Group of Seven (G7) in the United States, Politico reported…

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Lufthansa’s board accepts demands from EC in exchange of €9 billion bailout

Lufthansa's management board accepted a more favourable set of demands made by the European Commission in exchange for approval of a 9 billion euro ($10 billion) government bailout, the carrier…

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German retail sales fall far less than expected in April

German retail sales fell at their fastest pace since 2007 in April, data showed on Friday, but the drop was not as steep as expected in a sign of the…

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German official sees Lufthansa bailout within reach

The Berlin government is likely to reach a deal with Brussels on a $10 billion government bailout of stricken airline Lufthansa, senior government official Thomas Jarzombek said on Friday, but…

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German economy likely to shrink 6.6% this year due to coronavirus

The German economy is likely to shrink by 6.6% this year as a consequence of the coronavirus crisis before growing by 10.2% in 2021, the Ifo Institute said on Thursday…

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Germany reduces VAT for restaurants

Germany's parliament voted on Thursday to slash value-added tax on restaurant meals by more than half for a year to help them recoup devastating losses caused by the lockdown and…

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Germany to lift virus-related travel warning for EU countries from June 15

Germany will lift a warning against travel to 26 fellow EU countries from June 15, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Wednesday, adding that Berlin would decide later on its…

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Germany’s Angela Merkel urges caution as states loosen coronavirus restrictions

As leaders in Germany's 16 states take on more responsibility for monitoring the coronavirus and loosening restrictions, Chancellor Angela Merkel said it is more important than ever to have…

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Hugo Boss expects a recovery in its business

Hugo Boss expects a recovery in its business in the third quarter at the earliest due to store closures and consumer caution during the coronavirus pandemic, the chief executive of…

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German employment outlook improves slightly

German companies expect their total number of employees will continue to shrink, though the outlook for hiring has improved slightly in May after collapsing the previous month as a result…

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Germany extends social distancing rules until June 29

Germany's government and its state premiers have agreed to extend social distancing rules until June 29 to contain the coronavirus pandemic, a government spokesman said. Tuesday's deal, confirmed by the…

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Ryanair challenges Germany’s rescue of Lufthansa

Ryanair challenged Germany's 9 billion euro rescue package for Lufthansa saying it distorted competition. This challenge came at the same time that the German carrier moved towards finalising the deal…

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ECB considering plans to implement bond-buying programme even if Germany’s Bundesbank quits

The European Central Bank (ECB) is drafting contingency plans to carry out its multi-trillion bond-buying programme without the Bundesbank in case Germany's top court forces the main participant in the…

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German government and Lufthansa agree on 9 billion euro bailout preliminary deal

The German government and Lufthansa, which has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, have reached a preliminary deal on a 9 billion euro ($9.8 billion) bailout. The airline has…

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German authorities tracing church service attendees after more than 107 test positive for Covid-19

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 289 to 178,570, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Monday. The reported death toll…

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Warming up to Covid-19 time football

Augsburg players warm up prior to the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Schalke 04 and FC Augsburg in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, 24 May 2020. The German Bundesliga becomes the world's…

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Open-air swimming pools in Germany began reopening

Open-air swimming pools in Germany are beginning to reopen from today, as virologists say they are confident the coronavirus will be killed off by chlorine levels in the water. The…

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Lufthansa in advanced talks for state rescue deal worth about $10 billion

Airline Lufthansa said on Thursday it is in advanced talks with the German government’s economic stabilisation fund over a rescue deal worth up to 9 billion euros (8 billion pounds),…

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Photo Story: Eating ‘out’ in Germany

Guests sit at tables in small greenhouses at the 'Novy's Brasserie' Restaurant in Hagen, Germany. After nearly two months of shutdown due to the ongoing pandemic of the COVID-19 disease…

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Germany approves new powers to block foreign takeovers in healthcare

Germany gave itself new powers to veto hostile foreign takeover bids for healthcare companies on Wednesday, a measure designed to ensure a continuous supply of essential products during the coronavirus…

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Photo Story: True isolation

Amid talk of isolation due to the coronavirus pandemic, a photo by EPA photographer Philipp Guelland takes isolation to another level in a photo that shows a man rowing a…

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France, Germany propose €500 bln Recovery Fund to be fully financed by the EU

France and Germany proposed on Monday a 500 billion euro ($543 billion) Recovery Fund that would offer grants to European Union regions and sectors hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic, pushing…

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Bundesbank says Germany faces bleak economic outlook

Germany's economy will suffer a severe contraction in the second quarter, despite an easing of the most crippling restrictions put in place to fight the coronavirus pandemic, the Bundesbank said…

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Coronavirus cluster in refugee home in Germany

Officers of the public order department in protective clothing gather in front of a central accommodation for refugees in St. Augustin, Germany, 18 May 2020. According to the Cologne district…

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Macron, Merkel to announce new “Franco-German initiative” on Monday

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will present a new Franco-German initiative later on Monday, Macron's office said in a surprise statement. The two leaders will hold…

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Photo Story: Anti-restrictions protests in Berlin

German police officers detain a protester during a demonstration in front of the Reichstag building, seat of the German parliament the Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, 16 May 2020. A series…

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Angela Merkel says press freedom vital in time of coronavirus

German Chancellor Angela Merkel used her weekly video podcast on Saturday to appeal for press freedom to be defended — especially during the coronavirus pandemic. Democracy requires "a public sphere…

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Germany wants Poland and Czech Republic to open borders soon

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Saturday called on Poland and the Czech Republic to fully open their borders soon to enable the free flow of people and goods. The…

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Bundesliga kicks-off return of major European football

As expected Germany's Bundesliga attract new armchair fans around the world this weekend when it became the first of Europe's major soccer leagues to resume after a two-month shutdown due to the…

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Burning of foreign flags in Germany now punishable with jail-time

German parliament late Thursday passed a law making the burning of flags from the EU or foreign countries a punishable offense. Under the new law, violators can receive up to…

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Germany loosens quarantine restrictions for travellers from Schengen area, UK

Germany will loosen coronavirus quarantine rules for travellers arriving from the European Union, the Schengen passport-free zone and Britain, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry said on Friday. Authorities will only recommend…

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