Germany’s health minister has expressed his support for the Bundesliga’s plan to resume play behind closed doors later this month. “The (football league’s) basic plan makes sense and could serve as a model for other professional sports,” Jens Spahn told public broadcaster Deutschlandfunk on Tuesday. “But we’ll have to see how …
Read More »Lebanon summons German envoy to protest blacklisting of Hezbollah
Lebanon has summoned the German ambassador to protest Berlin’s recent decision to blacklist the Hezbollah resistance movement, a highly popular political and defense force in the Arab country. Berlin on Thursday designated Hezbollah as a “terrorist organization,” banned all its activities in the European country and ordered raids on sites …
Read More »Iran to export coronavirus test kits to Germany, Turkey
The vice president for science and technology says Iran is to export diagnostic kits that it has indigenously produced for identification of the new coronavirus patients to Germany and Turkey. Speaking to IRNA on Monday, Sourena Sattari identified the devices as serologic test kits developed by Iranian science-based companies that …
Read More »Germany charges neo-Nazi with murder of pro-refugee politician
Prosecutors say Stephan Ernst had a ‘right-wing extremist hatred of refugees’ when he killed Walter Luebcke at his home. German prosecutors have charged a known neo-Nazi with the June 2019 murder of a pro-refugee politician. Federal investigators said 45-year-old Stephan Ernst drove to Walter Luebcke’s house in Wolfhagen, central Germany, …
Read More »Two arrested following stabbing near Frankfurt that leaves four hurt
Two suspects have been detained following a stabbing incident near Frankfurt on Tuesday night, which left four people injured. Police have confirmed that five to seven men attacked members of the public in the city of Hanau, which is near Frankfurt. None of those injured are thought to be in …
Read More »Video: Climate activists take global protest online during pandemic
Young German climate-strikers on Friday got creative with their social distancing, set up hundreds of cardboard cutouts to represent protesters taking part in the Fridays for Future demonstration. In March, Swedish teen Greta Thunberg, the founder of the Fridays for Future youth movement, called on fellow climate activists to move …
Read More »Iraqi on genocide charges in Germany for ISIS killing of child
An Iraqi man went on trial in Frankfurt on Friday for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, on allegations that as an Islamic State member he was part of an effort to exterminate the Yazidi religious minority, and killed a five-year-old girl he purchased as a slave by chaining …
Read More »Video: ‘Still at the beginning’: Merkel asks Germans for resilience in coronavirus battle
Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Germans on Thursday to show endurance and discipline to get through the coronavirus pandemic that is “still at the beginning”, and called for a bigger European Union budget to support economic recovery in the bloc. Merkel is worried that Germans are relaxing their social distancing efforts …
Read More »Europe begins easing coronavirus lockdowns
Some European countries have announced plans to ease restrictions on social life, transport and cross-border travel imposed since mid-March to battle the spread of the novel coronavirus. AUSTRIA Austria allowed thousands of shops to reopen on April 14, becoming one of the first countries in Europe to loosen the lockdown. …
Read More »Germany to extend coronavirus lockdown until May 3
Germany wants to extend social distancing rules by an additional two weeks until May 3, according to a draft proposal agreed between Chancellor Angela Merkel and the governors of the country’s 16 states seen by Reuters. The proposals include reopening schools gradually starting May 4, with priority given to primary …
Read More »North-South divide ahead of key EU meeting
The coronavirus pandemic has exposed deep divides in Europe, with EU member states arguing over how to tackle the economic fallout. Italy and Spain have accused northern nations – led by Germany and the Netherlands – of not doing enough. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has even warned that if …
Read More »Bayern Munich to resume training despite pandemic
Bayern Munich has confirmed that players will return to training on Monday for the 1st time since the Bundesliga was suspended due to the coronavirus. The Bavarians said in a statement that the training session will be held in coordination with government policy and the relevant authorities. It added that …
Read More »Merkel plans not to run for 5th term as chancellor hasn’t changed – aide
Angela Merkel’s chief of staff said on Monday that he did not think the chancellor’s plans not to run for a fifth term in office had changed. Bild newspaper last week raised the question of whether she might. “I don’t think this is any time to discuss something like that,” …
Read More »US accused of ‘piracy’ over mask ‘confiscation’
The US has been accused of redirecting 200,000 Germany-bound masks for its own use, in a move condemned as “modern piracy”. The local government in Berlin said the shipment of US-made masks was “confiscated” in Bangkok. The FFP2 masks, which were ordered by Berlin’s police force, did not reach their …
Read More »Video: Germans sing from rooftops in solidarity with Italy during coronavirus lockdown
People in the Bavarian town of Bamberg stood on their rooftops and opened their windows to sing Bella Ciao, an Italian resistance song, in solidarity with Italy where the death toll from the Covid-19 outbreak continues to rise
Read More »$1 Billion for Exclusive Rights to Coronavirus Vaccine?
German media reports that US Pres. Trump made a $1 billion offer to German pharma company CureVac for exclusive rights to coronavirus vaccine. Across the world, pharmaceutical companies are racing to find and develop a vaccine effective against coronavirus, and in recent days, this has led to a confrontation between …
Read More »Germans march against neo-Nazis and far-right
Thousands of people were expected to take to the streets in Erfurt on Saturday to demonstrate against any future political coalitions with the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD). The protest is the latest in the fallout from a controversial vote that saw politician Thomas Kemmerich elected as state premier …
Read More »Germany busts ‘terrorist organization’ that planned attacks on Muslims, refugees
German police detained 12 men on Friday suspected of setting up a far-right organization with the goal of carrying out attacks against politicians, asylum seekers, and Muslims, the Federal Prosecutor’s Office (GBA) said. Prosecutors said four of the suspects had set up a “terrorist organization” in September 2019 and regularly …
Read More »Storm Sabine: Serious weather shuts down air traffic across Europe
Ciara or Sabine: Call it what you want, but countries across Europe are being hit by a powerful storm. Transport has been plunged into chaos and schools have been canceled. Northern Europe is currently being hit by a major storm, which is moving south. Known either as Ciara or Sabine …
Read More »EU’s geographical center shifts in Germany after Brexit
The local mayor says he’s “proud and happy” at the honor, but it’s still a “sad occasion” Brexit is happening. A non-descript field in Germany has been named the EU’s new geographical center after Brexit happened last night. The point in a village of around 80 people in Gadheim, Bavaria, …
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