Germany

German Greens’ leadership quits after coalition’s election blows

The co-leaders of Germany's Greens party, which is part of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's ruling coalition, said on Wednesday they would quit after a series of election blows that saw their…

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German Police to Bolster Politician Security Amid Growing Domestic and International Threats

The Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) announced plans to significantly increase the number of bodyguards assigned to protect Germany's top politicians in the coming years, citing growing dangers both domestically…

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Germany increases ‘Deutschlandticket’ price to €58

German transport authorities will increase the price of the "Deutschlandticket" to €58 ($64.50) starting next year, they announced. From January 2025, the nationwide public transport ticket will cost €9 more…

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Scholz’s SPD fends off far-right in election in Brandenburg, brings Scholz brief respite

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats (SPD) staved off the far-right in a regional election on Sunday, likely providing him only a brief reprieve from growing criticism of his leadership…

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Scholz’s Future at Stake in Crucial Brandenburg Vote

Weeks after topping a state vote for the first time and nearly winning another, Germany's far-right is taking aim at Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats (SPD) in another regional election that…

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Friedrich Merz:CDU leader sets sights on becoming German chancellor

Squeezed out of top-level politics by his arch party rival Angela Merkel more than two decades ago, Friedrich Merz is on course to land his first ever government job: as…

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German police investigate explosion in central Cologne

German police and prosecutors are investigating an explosion that occurred in central Cologne early Monday, a police spokesperson said, adding that there was no indication of a terrorist motive for…

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Germany’s tighter border controls take effect, irking neighbours

Germany reintroduced temporary controls on its western and northern borders on Monday as part of efforts to combat irregular migration and cross-border crime, the interior ministry said. The restrictions are…

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German navy makes rare transit of sensitive Taiwan Strait

Two German navy ships sailed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait on Friday in the first such transit in two decades, demonstrating Berlin's resolve to stand with Western allies at a…

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Extreme weather warnings in Germany, Poland, Austria; Czech Republic expecting heaviest rain in over 20 years

Large parts of central Europe are bracing for potential flooding this weekend with heavy rainfall expected across parts of Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria. Up to 400…

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Germany makes proposals to reduce number of asylum seekers

Germany's government presented a plan to implement more rigorously European rules on asylum that would see more people turned away at its borders, a day after it announced it would…

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Germany tightens border controls in immigration clampdown

Germany will temporarily institute tighter controls at all of its land borders to reduce irregular migration and to improve security, Berlin said Monday. German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser announced in…

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Far-right’s victory in German state of Thuringia election puts migrants on edge

Syrian doctor Humam Razok felt relief when he arrived in Germany nine years ago after fleeing Damascus, where he had been jailed twice for his political beliefs. But the far-right…

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German police kill suspect in exchange of fire near Israeli consulate in Munich

German police shot dead a man in an exchange of fire near the Israeli consulate and a Nazi history museum in Munich on Thursday, state Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann said.…

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Germany’s migration commissioner proposes Rwanda migrant deportation plan

Germany's migration commissioner proposed deporting to Rwanda migrants who arrive illegally to the European Union through its borders with Belarus, as Berlin contemplates measures to restrict refugees arriving in the…

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German far right hails ‘historic’ election victory in east

Germany's anti-immigration party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), is celebrating a "historic success" after achieving a major victory in the eastern state of Thuringia. The AfD secured nearly a third of…

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Germany tightens security, asylum policies after deadly festival stabbing

The German government unveiled a proposed package of stricter security and asylum measures in response to a deadly stabbing spree linked to the Islamic State, which has intensified far-right opposition…

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Neighborhood noise might increase heart attack risk

Research from two studies in different European cities highlights that urban noise pollution has a significant negative impact on heart health, according to data presented at ESC Congress 2024, the…

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Germany to donate 100,000 mpox vaccine doses to combat outbreak in Africa

Germany will donate 100,000 mpox vaccine doses from its military stocks to help contain the outbreak on the African continent in the short term as well as provide help to…

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Germany’s Scholz promises more deportations after weekend mass stabbing

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz vowed to step up deportations on Monday during a visit to Solingen, where a deadly mass stabbing linked to Islamic State has emboldened the far-right opposition…

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German stabbing suspect is 26-year-old Syrian man who admitted to the crime

The suspect in custody for a stabbing rampage in the western German city of Solingen that killed three people and injured eight is a 26-year-old Syrian man, authorities said early…

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Germany’s Duden Dictionary adds 3,000 new words including OpenAI and Ghosting

Germany's Duden dictionary announced this week that it was introducing 3,000 new words into its latest edition, including TikTok and ChatGPT. Other tech terms like Hyperloop, OpenAI, and Ghosting were also…

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UPDATED: NATO air base in Germany remains at high alert

The NATO air base in the German town of Geilenkirchen remained at high alert on Friday, a spokesperson said, after the security level was raised overnight "based on intelligence information…

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German warships await orders on crossing Taiwan Strait

Two German warships await orders from Berlin, their commander said, to determine whether next month they will be the first German naval vessels in decades to pass through the Taiwan…

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German military base sealed off due to suspected sabotage, security source says

A German military base next to Cologne airport has been sealed off and thousands of soldiers working there advised not to drink tap water as authorities investigate what may be…

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German border controls set to stay until European asylum system takes effect

Border controls introduced by Germany could be extended beyond Dec. 15 if necessary as they have proved very successful in fighting smugglers and irregular migration, the German interior minister said.…

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UPDATED: German hotel partially collapses, kills two, traps others

A hotel in Germany's picturesque Moselle wine valley collapsed overnight, killing two people, local police said on Wednesday, as rescuers worked urgently to pluck the three remaining trapped guests from…

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German airport pauses flights after climate activists breach field

Germany's Leipzig/Halle airport temporarily halted flights early on Thursday after climate activists breached the airfield as part of a disruptive protest campaign that has lawmakers calling for stricter punishment and…

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Germany on brink of recession as economy unexpectedly shrinks

The German economy unexpectedly contracted in the second quarter after skirting a recession at the beginning of the year and July's inflation rose, showing the continuing struggles of the euro…

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Around 140 flights cancelled at Frankfurt airport after climate activists block runway

Frankfurt airport, Germany's busiest, has resumed operations after suspending flights on Thursday morning when several climate activists blocked runways by gluing themselves to the tarmac. Planes were able to take…

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Germany to hold general elections on Sept. 28 next year

Germany will hold the next general elections for its federal parliament on Sept. 28 next year, DPA newswire reported on Wednesday, saying this had been decided by the cabinet. The…

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German leaders congratulate Angela Merkel on 70th birthday

German Chancellor Angela Merkel celebrated her 70th birthday away from the public gaze and surrounded only by those closest to her on Wednesday. Merkel became chancellor in 2005, remaining in office for…

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German Finance Minister calls for compliance with EU deficit rules

Every European Union member states should comply with fiscal rules, German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said in Brussels. "I expect every member state to be compliant with our fiscal rules,"…

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Scholz promises Germany won’t be ‘party’ in Ukraine war

The German chancellor has given a personal guarantee that the country will not become directly involved in the Ukraine war. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday assured citizens that Germany…

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Scholz takes German cabinet to Poland with defence high on agenda

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk meet in Warsaw on Tuesday, as nations with a difficult shared history seek to reinforce cooperation in the face of…

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Far-right Alternative for Germany reports surge in membership

Leaders of the far-right Alternative for Germany reported a surge in membership and vowed to build on the party's success in the European Parliament election, as they target wins in…

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Germany sees divorce rate drop to lowest since 1990

Fewer married couples were divorced last year than for any year since German reunification in 1990, Germany's Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) announced. The figures align with a longer-term trend that…

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Germany’s new citizenship reform comes into force

More people are set to become German citizens as the government's new citizenship reforms came into effect on Thursday, June 27, 2024. The liberalization means Germany will, for the first time, allow…

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German population grows less than expected

Population in Germany has grown between 2011 to 2022 but less than previously assumed, according to the census published by the German statistics office. It said that as of mid-May…

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Main suspect in Madeleine McCann’s disappearance could be freed from jail in months

The prime suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann could be freed from jail in a matter of months if a challenge by his lawyers is successful. The British girl…

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Main European ports targeted in ant-drug operation

Europol has supported the German Criminal Police (LKA Baden Wuttemberg) and German Customs (ZFA Stuttgart and ZOLL Karlsruhe) in dismantling a criminal organisation smuggling large quantities of cocaine in containers…

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Germany detects 1,400 unauthorised entries ahead of Euros

Border authorities in Germany, host nation of Euro 2024, detected 1,400 unauthorised entries and issued 173 arrest warrants in the week preceding the soccer tournament, according to German newspaper Bild.…

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Germany warns of Islamist threat on eve of Euro 2024 tournament

Germany welcomed police officers from across Europe on Thursday to bolster its defences against potential threats at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament, with Interior Minister Nancy Faeser promising vigilance on…

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Germany proposes new selective military service to boost defence

Germany's defence minister presented a proposal on Wednesday for a selective military service focused on volunteers to boost its depleted armed forces in the face of tensions with Russia, following…

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Germany’s Scholz says it’s not business as usual after bad EU election result

The European election result was bad for all of Germany's government coalition parties and they cannot go back to business as usual to win voters back, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said.…

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Germany needs 75,000 more troops as NATO eyes Russia threat

Germany's defence ministry believes it will need at least 75,000 additional troops to fulfil its NATO commitments as the alliance adapts to face what it sees as an increasingly hostile…

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EU vote humiliates Scholz’s German coalition

Germany’s ruling coalition suffered a crushing blow in the European Parliament election on Sunday, with Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats recording their worst result in a national vote in more…

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Scholz vows to toughen up German deportation rules after attacks

Germany will tighten its deportation rules so that the glorification of terrorist offences is grounds for deportation, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Thursday after a series of attacks prompted calls…

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Germany must be ready for war by 2029, defense minister warns

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has said his country must prepare for war because of increasing Russian threats. “We must be ready for war by 2029,” news magazine Der Spiegel…

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UPDATED: AfD politician injured in second attack in less than a week in Mannheim

A suspect was arrested after a local council candidate for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) was attacked with a knife, police and prosecutors said on Wednesday. The attack on Tuesday…

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German army to boost Rheinmetall artillery shell order by 200,000

The German army intends to order 200,000 more artillery shells from armsmaker Rheinmetall than it had planned, a letter seen by Reuters on Tuesday from the Defence Ministry to parliament's…

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Germany’s CDU hit by major cyberattack

Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) was targeted by a large-scale cyberattack on Saturday that forced the opposition party to temporarily take parts of its IT infrastructure off line. Law enforcement…

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UPDATED: Several thousand evacuated in southern Germany floods; Search for 3rd victim of Friuli floods in Italy

A firefighter died while trying to rescue trapped residents and several thousand people were forced to leave their homes as heavy rain caused flooding in southern Germany. The 42-year-old man…

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Multiple stabbings at far-right rally in Mannheim

A far-right activist and several others were hurt in stabbing in Mannheim. German police report that several individuals, including a far-right anti-Islam activist, were injured in the incident. On Friday,…

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German mood turned against EU, survey shows before European vote

Public opinion in Germany has shifted against the European Union in the last year, a survey by insurer Allianz showed on Wednesday, just over a week before elections to the…

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Influx of Syrians pushes German naturalisations to record level

Germany granted citizenship to a record number of people last year, due largely to a jump in the number of Syrians who qualified for a passport after fleeing their country…

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President Macron’s Germany Visit: EU Policy Implications and Defense Concerns

The upcoming state visit by President Macron to Berlin, Dresden, and Muenster marks the first French presidential visit to Germany in 24 years. This visit holds great significance as it…

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