Germany

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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International air fares in Germany down 3% in first half 2024

After significant price increases in Germany last year, holidaymakers enjoyed 3.1% lower prices for flights abroad in the first six months 2024 compared to last year's period, the statistics office…

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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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German business sentiment unexpectedly darkens in June, Ifo says

German business morale unexpectedly fell in June amid increasing pessimism about the performance of Europe's largest economy, a survey of around 9,000 managers showed on Monday. The Ifo institute said…

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Germany’s working-age population to decline by 2% by 2045, study shows

Germany will see its working-age population decrease by 2% by 2045, according to a forecast released on Wednesday that is likely to add to fears over growth constraints in Europe's…

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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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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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Europe’s third-largest tour operator FTI files for insolvency

Europe's third-largest tour operator FTI Group filed for insolvency in the Munich regional court, the German company said in a statement, as bookings continued to fall even after a recent…

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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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German MEP’s Controversial Comments on Chancellor Olaf Scholz

Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann’s inflammatory comments about Chancellor Olaf Scholz crossed a line, Germany’s Social Democrat leadership said. SPD co-leader Lars Klingbeil on Thursday demanded an apology from the liberal Free Democratic…

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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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Escalating Political Violence in Germany

Politically motivated crime in Germany last year reached its highest level since the government started tracking it more than 20 years ago, with the greatest threat coming from people with…

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Germany’s far-right party AfD faces backlash over SS remarks, lost allies.

The leading candidate for Germany's far-right party in the European election stepped back from campaigning on Wednesday to try to quell the backlash after declaring that the SS, the Nazis'…

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German court to hear prince’s alleged plot to overthrow Germany’s government

A would-be prince, a former judge and parliamentarian and retired military officers are among nine alleged conspirators who stand trial on Tuesday for a suspected "Reichsbuerger" plot to overthrow Germany's…

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Scholz says Germany needs strong military recruitment

Germany must find ways to convince people to sign up for a career in the military, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said, as the country looks at conscription as a possible way…

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Angela Merkel memoirs to be published in November

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel's memoirs will be published on November 26, the publisher, Kiepenheuer & Witsch, announced. It comes nearly three years after the end of Merkel's 16-year tenure and her thoughts…

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Only captains will be permitted to speak to referees at Euro 2024

Captains will be the only ones allowed to speak to the referee and discuss a decision during matches at the upcoming European Championship in a bid to facilitate clearer communication,…

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German final inflation confirmed at 2.4% in April

German inflation inched up in April to 2.4%, the federal statistics office said on Tuesday, confirming preliminary data. German consumer prices, harmonised to compare with other European Union countries, had…

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Germany lowers voting age to 16 for the European elections – but is it playing into the far right’s hands?

Gabriele Abels, University of Tübingen Ahead of the European parliament elections in June, Germany has lowered the age limit on participation to 16. This makes it the largest of just…

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Ice cream sellers in Germany probed over Mafia money

Authorities in the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia said they had charged three men with money laundering. The three are alleged to have used an ice cream parlor in the…

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German economy likely to stagnate in 2024, IW forecasts

Germany's economy will stagnate in 2024 despite a stronger than expected start to the year, and will continue to lag behind European peers, according to German economic institute IW. Manufacturing…

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Another German politician attacked

A senior figure in Chancellor Olaf Scholz's party became the latest target in a string of attacks on German politicians when a man struck her from behind with a bag…

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Scholz pledges Germany’s steadfast backing for the Baltic states

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says Berlin is firm in its resolve to defend the Baltic states against Russian aggression. His comments came on a visit to Lithuania, where German troops…

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Condemnation and concern in Germany after a series of assaults on politicians

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and European Union leaders denounced on Saturday a recent spate of attacks on politicians in Germany, including one that sent a member of the European Parliament…

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Germany: Births, marriages hit lowest level since 2013

The number of births and weddings in Germany last year fell to its lowest level in years, according to preliminary figures released by the Federal Statistics Office, known as Destatis.…

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Germany hit hard as foreign investment falls in Europe, EY survey shows

Foreign direct investment (FDI) into Europe fell 4% last year, with Germany seeing a sharp 12% drop in projects amid concern over its economic slowdown and energy security, a survey…

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Russian man arrested after two Ukrainians stabbed to death in Germany

A Russian man has been arrested after two Ukrainian men were stabbed to death in southern Germany. The two Ukrainians were killed at a shopping centre in the village of…

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“We need hope” – German chancellor launches EP election campaign

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz ’s centre-left Social Democrats, or SPD, launched their official campaign for the 9 June EU election with a rally in Hamburg, under the mantra "we need…

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Germany arrests suspected members of Nigerian dating mafia

German police on Wednesday announced that eleven suspected members of a criminal syndicate from Nigeria, the Black Axe, were arrested during nationwide raids The gang is internationally famous for different criminal activities such…

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Germany to resume cooperation with Palestinian UNRWA agency

The German government plans to resume cooperation with the UN agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) in Gaza, the foreign and development ministries said in a joint statement on Wednesday. The decision…

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German police shoot machete-wielding man at the University of Mannheim

Police in Germany shot a man who was allegedly wielding a machete at the University of Mannheim on Tuesday afternoon. The suspect, a 31-year-old German national, later died in hospital. The…

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Germany arrests aide to far-right MEP on suspicion of China espionage

German police have arrested an assistant to a European Parliament member on suspicion of “an especially severe case” of espionage for China, prosecutors said on Tuesday, appearing to refer to…

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Germany detains three individuals accused of spying for China

The German Federal Prosecutor's office on Monday said three German nationals were arrested under the strong suspicion of having worked for Chinese secret service. Prosecutors believe the three may have been involved in research projects…

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Germany arrests two for alleged military sabotage plot on behalf of Russia

Two German-Russian nationals have been arrested in Germany on suspicion of plotting sabotage attacks, including on U.S. military facilities, in an effort to undermine military support for Ukraine, prosecutors said…

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Bavaria bans smoking cannabis at Oktoberfest beer festival

Authorities in Germany's southeastern state of Bavaria announced that they will ban smoking cannabis at the popular Oktoberfest beer festival in Munich. It comes after Germany's federal government partially legalized marijuana for…

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Unbeaten Leverkusen execute flawless plan to win maiden Bundesliga title

Bayer Leverkusen's record-breaking run to their first Bundesliga title was no fluke, with a 16-month plan coming to fruition. The team made sure of their first trophy in 31 years…

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Germany’s transport minister threatens weekend driving ban over climate law delay

Germany’s transport minister is threatening to ban driving on weekends to meet climate goals if the ruling coalition does not pass the Climate Protection Act by July. “The fact that…

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Lufthansa suspends Tehran flights, Middle East on alert for potential Iran attacks

German airline Lufthansa announced it had suspended flights to Tehran due to the situation in the Middle East, which is on alert for possible Iranian retaliation for a suspected Israeli…

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Germany population growth to remain flat

A study released by the Bertelsmann Foundation on Tuesday showed that Germany is expected to see a slight 0.6% increase in population by 2040.The forecast is based on births, deaths and migration provided by the…

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German company bankruptcies hit another record high

The Leibniz Institute for Economic Research Halle (IWH) has reported that insolvencies by German partnerships and corporations rose to another record high in March. According to the IWH, there were…

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Suspect charged with planning ‘coup’ attempt in Germany

Prosecutors in the northern German city of Hamburg filed charges against a 66-year-old man accused of supporting a terrorist organization and aiding and abetting the preparation of a treasonable enterprise…

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