Germany

Germany plans to limit private gatherings to ten people

Germany plans to limit private gatherings from Dec. 28 to a maximum of 10 people who have been vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19, according to a draft of proposed measures.…

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EPA’s Eye In The Sky: Ortenberg, Germany

A picture taken with a drone shows an aerial view fog surrounding Ortenberg Castle in Ortenberg, Germany. Via EPA-EFE/CONSTANTIN ZINN

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No lockdown before Christmas, Germany says

Germany's health minister Karl Lauterbach ruled out a Christmas lockdown on Sunday but warned a fifth COVID-19 wave could no longer be stopped and backed mandatory vaccination as the only way to stop…

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Germany to impose quarantine on travellers from Britain from Monday

BERLIN, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Germany will impose quarantine on travellers from Britain from midnight on Monday and require a negative COVID-19 test for entry into the country, the Robert…

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Germany’s CDU party elects Friedrich Merz, 66, new leader

Germany's centre-right Christian Democrats elected Friedrich Merz their leader to follow Armin Laschet, who lost September's national election to Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats. Merz, a right-winger, is popular with…

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German wages barely grew in 2021 despite skyrocketing inflation

BERLIN, Dec 16 (Reuters) - German collectively agreed wages barely grew this year despite soaring inflation, data showed, effectively leaving consumers with less money in their wallets, which could…

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Germany facing winter of stagflation as COVID, bottlenecks bite

Persistent supply bottlenecks and a fourth wave of coronavirus infections in Germany are further delaying the recovery of Europe's largest economy from the pandemic, the Ifo institute said as it…

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Scholz vows to launch biggest transformation of German economy in a century

BERLIN, Dec 15 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Wednesday his government would make Europe's largest economy fit for the future by fostering investment in climate protection and…

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German police foil ‘anti-vaxxer murder plot’ against state premier

BERLIN, Dec 15 (Reuters) - German police said on Wednesday they had uncovered a plot by anti-vaccination activists in Saxony to murder the eastern German state's premier, adding to concerns…

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Successful EU is top national priority for Germany – Scholz

BERLIN, Dec 15 (Reuters) -The success of the European Union is Germany's top national priority, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Wednesday, warning that no disputes among member states must be…

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First German warship in almost two decades enters South China Sea

BERLIN, Dec 15 (Reuters) - A German warship sailed into the South China Sea on Wednesday for the first time in almost 20 years, a move that sees Berlin joining…

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French, German ministers say nuclear power a difficult subject

The French and German finance ministers, during the first visit of new German Finance Minister Christian Lindner to Paris, said talks about the role of nuclear energy in European power markets will be difficult, even if they agreed…

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German wholesale prices see record jump as raw material costs soar

BERLIN, Dec 13 (Reuters) - German wholesale prices rose by 16.6% on the year in November, official data showed on Monday, recording their biggest annual rise since data collection for…

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Russian gas and EU law high on agenda as Scholz visits Poland

BERLIN, Dec 12 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is in Warsaw on Sunday for talks on the migrant crisis at the Polish-Belarusian border, Poland's row with the EU over…

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Poland reiterates Nord Stream 2 opposition to German foreign minister

Poland's foreign minister on Friday reiterated Poland's opposition to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline and its expectations for reparations for World War Two, as Germany's new head of diplomacy…

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After Merkel, France’s Macron welcomes “dear Olaf”

French President Emmanuel Macron and Germany's new Chancellor Olaf Scholz played down differences on Friday over reform of EU budget rules and the place of nuclear in green investment financing,…

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Unvaccinated health staff ‘unacceptable’, new German health minister says

German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach defended restrictions on the unvaccinated and mandatory COVID-19 jabs for medical and nursing staff due to be passed by parliament later on Friday. "It's absolutely unacceptable that in establishments where people…

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German exports shoot up 4.1% in October

BERLIN, Dec 9 (Reuters) - German exports grew at their strongest pace in more than a year in October despite persistent supply bottlenecks in manufacturing, data showed on Thursday. Seasonally…

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Photo Story:Cold front hits Germany

People in a snow-covered park during a frosty Thursday morning in Berlin, Germany. Via EPA-EFE/FILIP SINGER

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Ending Merkel era, Scholz takes office as German chancellor

BERLIN, Dec 8 (Reuters) - German lawmakers elected Social Democrat Olaf Scholz as new chancellor on Wednesday, ending 16 years of conservative rule under Angela Merkel and paving the way…

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Germany records highest daily COVID deaths since February

BERLIN, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Germany recorded the highest number of deaths from COVID-19 since February on Wednesday as it battles to stop a fourth wave of the pandemic. A…

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UPDATED: Social Democrat Olaf Scholz elected as German chancellor

BERLIN, Dec 8 (Reuters) - German lawmakers elected Social Democrat Olaf Scholz as chancellor on Wednesday, ending 16 years of conservative rule under Angela Merkel and paving the way for…

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German COVID-19 rules put off shoppers, says retailer group

The tighter restrictions Germany has introduced to try to limit the spread of COVID-19 are putting people off from shopping in the usually busy run-up to Christmas, the country's association…

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Germany’s Greens approve three-party coalition deal

Germany's environmentalist Greens announced on Monday that its members had agreed to enter a coalition with the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) and the neoliberal Free Democrats (FDP). The "yes" vote…

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Germany plans to make vaccination compulsory for some jobs-draft

The incoming German government wants to make COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory from March 16 for people working in hospitals, nursing homes and other medical practices, according to a copy of draft…

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German fireworks-makers say ban due to COVID is catastrophic for industry

Germany's decision to ban fireworks on New Year's Eve for the second year in a row to avoid crowds in the pandemic is "catastrophic" for manufacturers and means the loss…

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German chancellor-designate Scholz defends bans for unvaccinated

Berlin (dpa) - Olaf Scholz, who is expected to become Germany's new chancellor next week, on Saturday defended moves to shut unvaccinated people out of large parts of public life, as protests took…

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Unicredit German unit to take significant portion of job cuts under new plan

UniCredit’s German arm is set to take a significant portion of the around 3,000 voluntary redundancies expected under the Italian bank’s new business plan, a person close to the matter…

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SPD approve German coalition agreement

BERLIN, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Members of Germany's Social Democratic party (SPD), which narrowly won a federal election in September, voted on Saturday to back a coalition agreement with the…

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Merkel makes farewell plea for Germans to get vaccinated

BERLIN, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Germans on Saturday to get vaccinated against COVID-19 to help turn the tide on a fourth wave of cases that…

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Auf Wiedersehen Angela ! – Outgoing German Chancellor Merkel is honoured in Berlin

At a ceremony held by torchlight, the Bundeswehr, Germany's federal armed forces, said goodbye to Chancellor Angela Merkel. The military tattoo has become the unofficial farewell ceremony for defense ministers,…

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Facebook could be sued by consumer groups, EU court adviser says

BRUSSELS, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Facebook could be sued by consumer groups for privacy violations, an adviser to Europe's top court said on Thursday, in a German online gaming case…

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UPDATED: Germany approves new national COVID-19 restrictions, Berlin reports first Omicron case

Germany on Thursday imposed restrictions on the unvaccinated as it sought to break a dramatic surge in daily coronavirus infections exacerbated by the discovery of the Omicron strain. Outgoing Chancellor…

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German ICUs expect COVID peak to hit hospitals at Christmas

Germany is likely to reach a peak of its fourth wave of COVID-19 infections by mid-December and this could mean 6,000 intensive care beds occupied by Christmas, the country's association…

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Supply bottlenecks weigh on German factory activity in November -PMI

BERLIN, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Supply chain problems held back growth in German manufacturing activity for the fourth month running in November, a survey showed on Wednesday, supporting expectations for…

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UPDATED: Germany reports highest daily COVID-19 death toll for 9 months

BERLIN, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Germany reported the highest number of deaths from coronavirus since mid-February on Wednesday as hospitals warned that the country could have 6,000 people in intensive…

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German state reports four fully vaccinated people infected with Omicron

BERLIN, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Four people in southern Germany have tested positive for the Omicron COVID-19 variant even though they were fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, the public health…

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German and Austrian COVID-19 incidence rate falls, stable in Netherlands

The COVID-19 incidence rate has dropped slightly in Germany and Austria and stabilised in the Netherlands since the three countries introduced new measures to curb the spread of the virus, new data showed. After becoming hot spots…

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Germany’s SPD will announce its ministers next week

Germany's chancellor-in-waiting Olaf Scholz said on Monday his Social Democrats (SPD) would wait for a party congress this weekend to approve a coalition deal with the Greens and Free Democrats…

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German retail suffers at start of crucial Christmas season

BERLIN, Nov 28 (Reuters) - A surge in coronavirus cases in Germany has led to a disappointing start to the Christmas season for retailers in Europe's biggest economy, the sector…

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Pressure mounts for more curbs in Germany as Omicron spreads

BERLIN, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Several leading German politicians called on Sunday for tighter restrictions to contain a surge in coronavirus cases as the infection rate hit a new high…

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Germany confirms suspected Omicron case, bringing total to three

BERLIN, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Germany said on Sunday it had detected a total of three cases of the new Omicron coronavirus variant after a suspected infection in the western…

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UPDATE – Two Omicron coronavirus cases found in Germany

BERLIN, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Two cases of the new Omicron coronavirus variant have been detected in the southern German state of Bavaria and a suspected case found in the…

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More Covid patients flown out of overwhelmed German hospitals

The German state of Bavaria is operating further transfer flights across Germany for hospitals overwhelmed by the COVID-19 crisis. Two patients were being flown from the Bavarian capital Munich to Hamburg…

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EXPLAINER-What has to happen before Germany’s new chancellor takes power?

Three parties in Germany have struck a deal to form a new coalition government that will see Social Democrat Olaf Scholz replace conservative Angela Merkel as chancellor. However, it will…

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Polish prime minister criticizes Merkel for talking with Lukashenko

Berlin (dpa) - Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki criticized Germany's outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel for talking with Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko, amid a growing migrant crisis on Europe's border that…

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Photo Story: Christmas market amid coronavirus pandemic in Berlin

The Breitscheid square Christmas market in Berlin, Germany. Germany has reported a rising number of COVID-19 infections. Via EPA-EFE/FILIP SINGER

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COVID-19 threatens to knock away Germany’s last pillar of growth

BERLIN, Nov 25 (Reuters) - A surge in coronavirus infections in Germany is weighing on consumer morale in Europe's largest economy, dampening business prospects in the Christmas shopping season and…

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Germany’s next government: the likely line-up

Germany's centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), Greens and pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) announced on Wednesday a coalition deal as they prepare to take charge of Europe's biggest economy for the next…

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German COVID-19 deaths pass 100,000 mark as fourth wave takes hold

BERLIN, Nov 25 (Reuters) - Germany crossed the sombre threshold of 100,000 COVID-19-related deaths on Thursday with a surge in new infections posing a challenge for the new government. Since…

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Germany to open up more to migrants under new coalition

Germany's incoming government plans to improve asylum seekers' rights, facilitate immigration for skilled workers, and simplify the process of acquiring German nationality. Immigration was a defining issue of Germany's 2017…

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German business morale darkens on supply bottlenecks, COVID wave

BERLIN, Nov 24 (Reuters) - German business morale deteriorated for the fifth month running in November as supply bottlenecks in manufacturing and a spike in coronavirus infections clouded the growth…

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Three German parties reach coalition deal to end the Merkel era

BERLIN, Nov 24 (Reuters) - German Social Democrat Olaf Scholz said on Wednesday he had reached a coalition deal to form a new government that will try to modernise Europe's…

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FACTBOX: Main policy goals of German coalition partners

BERLIN, Nov 24 (Reuters) - The leaders of three German parties were set on Wednesday to present a deal to form a coalition government that will see Social Democrat Olaf…

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German support grows for mandatory vaccines as cases jump

BERLIN, Nov 24 (Reuters) - A leader of Germany's Greens, set to be part of a new government, expressed support on Wednesday for mandatory vaccinations as the number of infections…

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UPDATED: German parties near coalition deal; Merkel bids colleagues farewell

BERLIN, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Finance Minister Olaf Scholz was on the verge of succeeding Angela Merkel as German Chancellor on Wednesday after three parties announced they were ready to…

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Dutch COVID-19 patients transferred to Germany as hospitals struggle

The Netherlands started transporting COVID-19 patients across the border to Germany on Tuesday to ease pressure on Dutch hospitals, which are scaling back regular care to deal with a surge in coronavirus cases. A…

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