Germany

Olaf Scholz ‘categorically against’ Ursula von der Leyen becoming NATO chief

Olaf Scholz blocked Ursula von der Leyen from becoming the new head of NATO because he believed she would be too tough on Russia, German media reported. The German chancellor,…

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Former German spy chief founds new right-wing party

By Thomas Escritt and Sarah Marsh A former German spy chief who was sacked after being accused of averting his eyes to the threat posed by the far-right founded a…

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Stop whining about Trump, Dutch prime minister tells Europeans

By John Irish MUNICH, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, the frontrunner to be the next secretary-general of NATO, said on Saturday that Europe should stop…

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UN chief calls on tech firms to stop profiting from ‘toxic content’

MUNICH, Feb 16 (Reuters) - The head of the United Nations on Friday called for technology firms to stop profiting from the proliferation of toxic content after accusing social media…

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Germany’s Scholz says confident of NATO future security guarantees

BERLIN, Feb 16 (Reuters) - The NATO military alliance will continue to ensure its members security in the coming decades and everything must be done to keep it stable, German…

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German government approves military participation in EU Red Sea mission

BERLIN, Feb 16 (Reuters) - The German government has approved the deployment of armed forces in a European Union naval mission in the Red Sea to protect merchant ships from…

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Hamburg begins issuing Visa cash cards for refugees

Hamburg has become the first German state to introduce payment cards for asylum seekers. The cards will initially be issued to new arrivals in initial reception facilities, the city's social…

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Wars in Israel, Ukraine to dominate global security summit in Munich

By Sarah Marsh and Humeyra Pamuk Munich Security Conference runs Friday to Sunday Attendees to include Scholz, Harris, Blinken, Zelenskiy Comes as U.S. allies fret about possible Trump re-election Worries…

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UPDATED: Madeleine McCann suspect’s trial on separate charges suspended

By Oliver Denzer BRUNSWICK, Germany, Feb 16 (Reuters) - The trial of a suspect in the disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann on unrelated sexual abuse charges was suspended within…

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Germany’s chamber of commerce warns of heaviest slump in 20 years

German Chambers of Commerce and Industry see GDP at -0.5% Majority of companies see government policy as business risk - survey Third of companies plan investments cuts in Germany By…

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Japan unexpectedly slips into recession, Germany now world’s third-biggest economy

By Leika Kihara and Tetsushi Kajimoto Japan's GDP shrinks for two straight quarters Frail consumption, capital spending point to challenging outlook Supply constraints may be delaying execution of spending plans…

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Germany silent on Putin’s call to free Russian hitman

By Rene Wagner and Thomas Escritt Germany declined to be drawn on whether talks were underway on swapping a Russian state hitman serving a life sentence in a German prison…

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Biden, Germany’s Scholz to discuss Ukraine and Israel in White House meeting

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will lend European support for U.S. President Joe Biden's efforts to get more funding for Ukraine during a White House meeting on Friday that is also…

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Lufthansa strike hits air travel as German disruption mounts

BERLIN, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Ground staff at German airline Lufthansa walked out at major airports on Wednesday, raising the pressure in wage talks and piling misery on travellers in…

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Germany outlines plan to subsidise gas-to-hydrogen shift

Germany to tender up to 10 GW gas power plants New gas plants must switch to hydrogen by 2040 Berlin to agree new electricity market design this year Plants will…

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Public transport across Germany disrupted as workers strike

BERLIN, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Bus and tram stations across Germany were at a standstill on Friday, disrupting millions of commuters and travellers, as 90,000 public transport workers were called…

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Germany could oppose EU supply chain law on child labour

By Markus Wacket and Holger Hansen A letter by two top German ministers on Thursday suggested the government would oppose a draft European law which would require large companies to…

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Ban the AfD or fight it? Germany grapples over how to counter the far-right

By Andreas Rinke and Sarah Marsh Berlin frets about strength of AfD ahead of slew of elections Mainstream parties consider strategies to contain the AfD Aim to push AfD into…

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UPDATED: Germany’s airport security staff to ground flights in nationwide protests

BERLIN, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Security staff at 11 German airports, including the global hub Frankfurt, walked off the job on Thursday to press for higher pay, grounding flights and…

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German military headed for 56-bln-eur spending gap in 2028 – Spiegel

BERLIN, Jan 31 (Reuters) - The German military is looking at a 56 billion-euro ($61 billion) deficit in 2028, once its special fund for defence spending is exhausted, according to…

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Berlin airport says no departures on Thursday due to strike

Berlin Brandenburg airport said there would be no departures for passengers on Thursday due to strikes announced by public sector union Verdi. Security staff plan to stage strikes at airports…

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German police seizes $2.17 billion in bitcoin in ‘most extensive’ action ever

German police have confiscated 50,000 bitcoin worth $2.17 billion in the country's 'most extensive' cryptocurrency seizure ever, it said in a statement. "This is the most extensive seizure of bitcoins…

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Germany to approve EU’s planned AI act

Germany will approve the European Union's pioneering AI Act after the minister responsible for digital issues said a compromise had been reached. The European Union in December reached a provisional…

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Euro zone economy stagnates as Germany struggles

The euro zone's economy stagnated last year, weighed down by an industrial malaise in Germany, its former powerhouse, data showed on Tuesday. The 20 countries that share the euro barely…

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Scholz calls for 15% corporate tax rate in EU countries

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called on the European Union to complete its creation of a banking and capital markets union so the bloc can compete with the U.S. and China for…

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Pilots plan one-day strike at Lufthansa’s Discover on Friday

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German pilots' union VC called on its members to strike for 24 hours at Lufthansa Group's leisure airline Discover on Friday to push demands related to pay…

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NATO’s largest military exercise since Cold War kicks off

WASHINGTON, Jan 24 (Reuters) - The U.S. Navy dock landing ship Gunston Hall left port on Wednesday to mark the first movement for the largest NATO exercise since the Cold…

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22

Jan

German train drivers union calls for further strikes this week

Jan 22 (Reuters) - Germany's GDL train drivers' union on Monday called for a fourth round of strikes this week, as it further escalated a wage dispute with Deutsche Bahn…

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Germany warns Putin could attack Nato countries in five to eight years

Vladimir Putin could attack Nato within five to eight years, Germany has warned, as Baltic nations approved a plan to build defences along their borders with Russia and Belarus. “We…

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Siemens Energy chairman warns against far right amid German protests

By Andreas Rinke and Emma-Victoria Farr BERLIN/FRANKFURT, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Siemens Energy supervisory board chairman Joe Kaeser has warned of a resurgence of right-wing extremism in Germany, as the…

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Labour-hungry Germany eases citizenship path despite migration rows

By Thomas Escritt BERLIN, (Reuters) - Germany shortened foreigners' paths to citizenship and ended a ban on dual nationality on Friday by passing a naturalisation law designed to reflect the…

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Germany isn’t sick man of Europe, but tired man who needs coffee -Lindner

By Maria Martinez BERLIN, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Germany is not the sick man of Europe, but a tired man in need of a "good cup of coffee" of structural…

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Winter weather upends travel in Germany for a second day

BERLIN, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Heavy snowfall and icy conditions upended air, car and train travel across Germany for a second day on Thursday. At Frankfurt airport, Germany's largest hub,…

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UPDATED: Oslo airport closes due to heavy snowfall

OSLO, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Oslo's main airport closed for safety reasons on Wednesday due to heavy snowfall in Norway's capital region and many train services and other public transport…

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There’s no more money, German minister tells rowdy farmers

By Thomas Escritt BERLIN, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Germany's Finance Minister Christian Lindner took to the stage on Monday in front of thousands of jeering farmers protesting against tax rises…

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UPDATED-German railways grind to near halt in three-day train drivers strike

By Stephane Nitschke and Andreas Kranz COLOGNE, Germany, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of people faced train cancellations across Germany from Wednesday, as a three-day nationwide rail strike…

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Germany will not oppose further Eurofighters for Saudi Arabia

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Germany is prepared to allow further deliveries of Eurofighter jets to Saudi Arabia, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said. Berlin halted arms sales to Saudi Arabia…

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German train drivers to strike this week – GDL union

FRANKFURT, Jan 7 (Reuters) - Germany's GDL train drivers' union said on Sunday that it was calling on members to strike this week, an escalation of a wage dispute with…

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Germany’s 2023 CO2 emissions fall to lowest in 70 years but drop not yet sustainable- study

By Riham Alkousaa BERLIN, (Reuters) - Germany's carbon dioxide emissions in 2023 fell to their lowest since the 1950s due to less coal-fired power and reduced output by energy-intensive industries,…

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German liberals narrowly vote to stay in Scholz’s fractious coalition

A slim majority of the members of Germany's Free Democrats have voted in a non-binding membership poll to stay in Chancellor Olaf Scholz's fractious three-way governing coalition. The low-tax, business-minded…

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UPDATED: Veteran German politician Wolfgang Schaeuble dies at 81

BERLIN, Dec 27 (Reuters) - Wolfgang Schaeuble, who served as a member of the German parliament for over half a century, has died aged 81, ending one of Germany's longest…

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Lithuanian and German police break-up criminal group responsible for stealing luxury cars

Close cooperation between Lithuanian and German authorities, together with support from Europol and Eurojust, has led to the dismantling of an international criminal network of car thieves. The Criminal Investigation…

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Security hiked at Cologne cathedral for Christmas amid attack threat

BERLIN, (Reuters) - German police said they were heightening security at Cologne Cathedral following indications of an attack planned for New Year's Eve, a week after the interior minister warned…

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Europe-wide police operation against criminal network behind shock calls terrifying elderly across Europe

In a coordinated action which ran between 27 November and 8 December, law enforcement and judicial authorities from five countries joined forces to take down a criminal network suspected of…

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German firms’ China worries pushing up costs, Bundesbank finds

Years of effort by German companies to diversify their supply chains is pushing up costs and further increases are still in the pipeline, especially for firms with ties to China,…

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Europe must rearm as new threats loom, German minister says

BERLIN, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Europe must race to ensure it can better defend itself as new military threats could emerge by the end of the decade even as the…

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Germany lifts government borrowing ban for 2023 amid budget chaos

The lower house of Germany's parliament approved on Friday the 2023 supplementary budget, with the suspension of a self-imposed cap on borrowing after a constitutional court ruling last month tore…

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UPDATED: German government to keep debt brake in 2024 budget

Coalition agrees budget after month of tense talks Details unknown, government to deliver statements at noon Deal should improve business sentiment in Europe's top economy By Maria Martinez and Andreas…

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Disasters caused $100 bln in insured losses in 2023, Swiss Re says

FRANKFURT, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, wildfires in Hawaii and other natural catastrophes have caused an estimated $100 billion in insured losses so far in 2023,…

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Many German employees still face real wage losses in 2023 – WSI

BERLIN, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Despite falling inflation and rising collectively agreed wages, many Germans face a reduction in spending power this year, data from the Institute of Economic and…

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Germany to extend border controls with Poland, Czech Republic, Switzerland

Germany plans to extend its border controls with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland to stem a migration surge and combat people-smuggling until Dec. 15, a spokesperson for the interior…

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Germany wants swift conclusion of EU-Mercosur trade talks – govt spokesperson

BERLIN, (Reuters) - Germany hopes for a swift conclusion of trade talks between European Union and Mercosur negotiators, a spokesperson for the economy ministry said in Berlin this week. "It…

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UPDATED: Munich flights, long-distance trains cancelled due to snow

Dec 2 (Reuters) - Long-distance trains and hundreds of flights in and out of the German city of Munich were cancelled on Saturday because of heavy snowfall, according to statements…

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Suspect in Madeleine McCann case to face separate sexual assault charge

A man under investigation for the disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann will stand trial in Germany in February on five separate sexual assault charges, a court said on Thursday.…

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Germany hit by deadly winter weather

Authorities in western Germany on Tuesday urged residents to stay home, warning of life-threatening danger, after a burst of winter weather led to hazardous roads, leaving two people dead. The…

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German government unveils budget fixes as way out of crisis

Germany's ruling coalition unveiled a supplementary budget on Monday that will temporarily lift a self-imposed cap on borrowing after a constitutional court ruling tore up the government's spending plans. The…

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UPDATED: German government to agree budget fixes as way out of crisis

BERLIN, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Germany's ruling coalition was expected to agree a supplementary budget on Monday that will temporarily lift a self-imposed cap on borrowing limits after a constitutional…

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