Germany

German politician resigns over far-right ties

Robert Möritz, a local politician from the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt, surprisingly announced his resignation from Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) on Friday, saying he wanted "to…

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German politician files criminal complaint against EC President von der Leyen after data from her mobile phone was wiped out

A German politician has filed a criminal complaint over the erasure of data from a mobile phone owned by Ursula von der Leyen, the new European Commission president, when she…

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World’s population to hit 7.75 billion in 2019

By the end of this year there will be some 7.75 billion people living on planet earth, according to Germany's Foundation for World Population (DSW). The estimate gauges that the world's…

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Germany puts up fences at Polish border to contain swine fever spread

In an attempt to prevent an outbreak of swine fever, Germany's Agriculture Ministry is putting up electric fences to stop wild boars from crossing its border with Poland. No case…

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Boy missing in Germany for 2 years found in suspected paedophile’s closet

A 15-year-old boy who was missing for two years was found in the home of a suspected paedophile on Friday, German police said. Authorities in Recklinghausen, 100 kilometres north of Cologne, said…

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Germany’s Sea-Watch rescue boat to resume migrant missions in the Mediterranean

German charity Sea-Watch EV announced it would return as soon as it could to the area north of the Libyan coast to help migrants at sea after winning an Italian…

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Photo Story: Berlin remembers the third anniversary of the terror attack on Breitscheidplatz Christmas market

Moments from the commemoration of the Christmas market attack on the Breitscheidplatz square in Berlin, Germany, on Thursday evening. Breitscheidplatz square was the target of a terror attack on 19…

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German court hands Uber another legal setback

A regional Frankfurt court found on Thursday that Uber's business model in Germany, which relies on the use of vehicles from local car hire companies, violated several anti-competiton laws. The…

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Photo Story: German premiere of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in Cologne

People dressed as Star Wars characters arrive for the screening of 'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' at the Cinedom in Cologne, Germany, on the evening of Tuesday 17 December…

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EPA’s Eye in the Sky: Speyer, Germany

A view of a part of the Christmas market in Speyer, Germany. The Christmas and New Year market in Speyer runs until 06 January 2020. Photo: EPA-EFE/RONALD WITTEK

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Romania’s Klaus Iohannis wins 2020 Charlemagne Prize

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis was named the recipient of the 2020 International Charlemagne Prize on Saturday. The prize's board of directors said the 60-year-old leader had successfully steered Romania down…

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World reacts to Johnson’s victory

USA - President Donald Trump tweeted “Congratulations to Boris Johnson on his great WIN!” Trump tweeted. “This deal has the potential to be far bigger and more lucrative than any deal…

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Explosion injures 25 in German city of Blankenburg

At least one person was killed, and 25 people were injured on Friday in an explosion in a residential building in the German city of Blankenburg, police said. Authorities said…

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Statement by the German Foreign Office on the expulsion from Russia of two German diplomats

The Spokesperson of the Federal Foreign Office issued the following statement on Russia’s announcement today that it will expel two German Embassy staff members: "The German Government has noted…

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Russia expels two German diplomats

The Russian Foreign Ministry on Thursday summoned the German ambassador to announce the expulsion of two diplomats. It comes a week after two Russian officials were told to leave Germany in connection…

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Photo Story: ‘Raffael in Berlin’ exhibition

A series of photos that are part of the exhibition 'Raffael in Berlin. The Madonnas in the Gemaeldegalerie' in the art museum Gemaeldegalerie in Berlin, Germany. The presentation includes six…

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Germany on alert as swine fever nears border

Germany is deploying a full array of defences to stop boars from bringing swine fever into the country and avert a disaster for its thriving pork industry. Among the measures…

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Lightening of Christmas tree at Bellevue Palace in Berlin

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (2-R) and his wife Elke Buedenbender (R) approach to students while the children raise their hands in order to show their willingness to participate in pushing…

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Merkel visits Auschwitz memorial for the first time

Angela Merkel visits for the first time the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial on Friday after 14 years as German Chancellor. Merkel, accompanied by Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki during the visit, will…

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Germany-Russia murder row raises tensions for Merkel

The violent death of a former Chechen rebel commander at the hands of a man suspected to be a Russian-backed assassin in a Berlin park has shocked and outraged many…

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Migrant rescue ship Sea-Watch 3 changes flag from Dutch to German

The rescue vessel Sea-Watch 3, which has been detained by Italian authorities on multiple occasions, said that it would no longer be registered in the Netherlands and would instead fly…

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Ryanair to close bases in Nuremberg, Stockholm

Budget airline Ryanair announced that it will be closing bases in Nuremberg and Stockholm. The decision was brought about by the delayed delivery of the Boeing 737 Max airplanes. The new…

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German car industry to slash more jobs in 2020

Germany’s main automobile industry body, the VDA, said it expects global car sales to fall by 5% this year, the steepest drop since the financial crisis, and warned of more…

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German government in doubt after shock SPD vote

German politics were thrust into disarray late Saturday after a surprise decision by the Social Democrats (SPD) to elect a leadership duo that has expressed deep reservations over the party’s…

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EPA’s Eye in the Sky: Uerzig, Germany

A view of the Hochmosel Bridge in Uerzig, Germany. The bridge spans the Moselle valley at a height of about 158 metres and has a length of 1700 metres and…

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Social Democrats in Germany voting new leader

Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) will on Saturday announce the winner of a party leadership ballot, whose first task will be to decide whether to quit the ruling coalition with Chancellor…

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Germany plans rapid state intervention to protect key industries

German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier wants to set up a new government body with powers to decide quickly whether to take stakes in key domestic companies to prevent foreign takeovers.…

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Daimler to cut 10,000 jobs worldwide

Daimler, the German carmaker that owns Mercedes-Benz, has said it will shed at least 10,000 jobs worldwide as it seeks to fund the switch to electric cars. Daimler personnel…

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German CDU mulls return of military service

German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, still the current favorite to succeed Angela Merkel as chancellor, has cautiously come out in favor of opening the debate on reintroducing national military service. "Something…

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Photo Story: 200kg angel for Dortmund Christmas Tree

One of the world's biggest Christmas trees is illuminated at the Christmas Market in Dortmund, Germany. The Christmas tree is 45 meters high and made is of twigs of 1700…

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Berlin bans diesel cars and trucks

A worker installs a road sign at the central Mitte district that indicates a circulation ban for Diesel cars and trucks with less than Euro 5/V in Berlin, Germany,on…

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Berlin and Paris outline plan for EU makeover

Germany and France have drawn up a blueprint for a two-year "Conference on the Future of Europe" aimed at overhauling nearly all aspects of how the EU functions, including possible…

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Christmas market at Breitscheidplatz in Berlin reopens

Christmas installations are illuminated at the Christmas market at the Breitscheidplatz in Berlin, Germany. Breitscheidplatz square was the target of a terror attack in which 12 people lost their lives,…

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EPA’s Eye in the Sky: Berlin, Germany

Parked Trabi cars in Berlin, Germany.Photo: EPA/MAURIZIO GAMBARINI

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Thieves break into Dresden’s Green Vault

Thieves broke into Dresden's Grünes Gewölbe early Monday morning, police said. The eastern German museum, known in English as the Green Vault, houses Europe's largest collection of treasures. Police said the thieves targeted…

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Leadership of CDU in doubt

The question of who will succeed Angela Merkel as Germany's chancellor was left hanging in the balance after her anointed successor signalled that she could step down. Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer has…

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Angela Merkel faces party revolt over Huawei in German 5G rollout

Leading figures in Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) have defied the German chancellor by throwing their support behind a motion to make sure parliament has a say in the…

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Photo Story: Christmas decoration at Tierpark Berlin

A collection of photos of the 'Christmas at the Tierpark' show in Berlin, Germany. A total of 30 light sculptures will be on display. Illuminated treetops, shining stars along the…

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Commerzbank CEO calls on EU to stick to principles in face of U.S. policy

Commerzbank’s chief executive criticized the U.S. administration for unilateral dealmaking on Friday and called for Germany and Europe to “stick to our principles”. Martin Zielke’s comments come as Europe debates…

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CDU Congress targeted by Greenpeace

A Greenpeace activist carries a C letter while entering the venue of the Party Congress of the Christian Democratic Union party (CDU) in Leipzig, Germany, 22 November 2019. On 21…

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Son of former German president von Weizsäcker stabbed to death in Berlin

Fritz von Weizsäcker, the son of the late President Richard von Weizsäcker, was stabbed to death on Tuesday while giving a lecture at a Berlin hospital, according to local police.…

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Two planes collide at Frankfurt Airport

Frankfurt Airport confirmed on Sunday morning that two passenger jets collided on the tarmac hours earlier. A Korean Air Boeing 777 aircraft collided lightly with an Air Namibia aircraft after landing…

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Large network smuggling migrants in lorries dismantled in Germany and Romania

The German Federal Police (Bundespolizei) and the Romanian Police (Poliția Română) supported by Europol, concluded their operation into a large criminal network smuggling migrants to western Europe in lorries. Austria,…

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German parliament approves climate protection plan

German lawmakers voted to enshrine climate protection in law on Friday. The new legislation will target sectors like energy, transport and housing. It aims to cut Germany's greenhouse gas emissions to…

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German Parliament passes anti-money-laundering laws

The German Parliament passed a raft of anti-money-laundering measures to bring the country in line with EU directives. The reform packet imposes stricter regulations for real estate agents, notaries, precious…

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Half Europe’s unauthorized migrants in Germany, UK

At least 3.9 million unauthorized migrants — and possibly as many as 4.8 million — lived in Europe in 2017 with half of them in Germany and the United Kingdom,…

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Mercedes-Benz Cars to slash €1 billion in costs by 2022

Daimler shares fell sharply on Thursday after the German carmaker said tougher emissions rules will hit earnings in 2020 and 2021 forcing it to seek more than 1 billion euros…

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Germany narrowly avoids recession

The German economy has defied expectations of recession by growing 0.1 per cent in the third quarter as higher household and government spending offset a sharp downturn in the country’s…

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Photo Story: Nuremberg Christ Child presents her regalia

This week the Nuremberg Christ Child, the 17-year-old Benigna Munsi, appeared in her regalia dressed in a crown, wig and wings as the Christ child at the Nuremberg state theatre,…

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Merkel urges Europe to take control of its data from US tech giants

Angela Merkel has urged Europe to seize control of its data from Silicon Valley tech giants, in an intervention that highlights the EU’s growing willingness to challenge the US dominance…

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Three detained and accused of planning religiously motivated terror attack in Germany

Police carried out raids in the city of Offenbach on Tuesday and detained three people accused of planning what was described as an "Islamic State"-affiliated terror attack. The accused had begun to…

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Cooperation on Libya but one must ensure human rights

Italy and Germany must cooperate on Libya and migrants but there must be respect for human rights, German Chancellor Angela Merkel told Premier Giuseppe Conte in Rome Monday. Merkel told…

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German coalition parties reach pensions deal to avert crisis

Germany's CDU conservatives and the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) on Sunday broke a deadlock over a higher basic pension that had threatened the future of their governing coalition. Senior coalition…

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EPA’s Eye in the Sky: Neuendorf , Germany

An aerial view of a labyrinth of conifers in the amusement park Teichland in Neuendorf near Cottbus, Germany. Apart from the labyrinth, visitors can also use a 900m summer toboggan…

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Photo Story: The commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (C) arrives for the celebrations of the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall at the Berlin Wall Memorial site along Bernauer street in…

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EU heavyweight states push for joint supervisor against money laundering

The European Union’s largest states are pushing for the establishment of a new supervisory authority that would take over from states the oversight of money laundering at financial firms, after…

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Daimler chief outlines plan to cut up to 1,100 jobs

The new chief executive of Daimler has outlined plans to cut 10 per cent of managers in Germany and up to 1,100 in total worldwide, according to a letter circulated…

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