Germany Looks to Stop the Far Right From Assuming Power

For Germany — a country that knows something about how extremists can hijack a government — the surging popularity of the far right has forced an awkward question.

How far should a democracy go in restricting a party that many believe is bent on undermining it?

It is a quandary that pol…[Read more]

Far-right firebrand Geert Wilders to forgo Dutch PM job

FRANKFURT, March 13 (Reuters) – Germany supports Thailand’s bid to become a member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Wednesday with Thai Premier Srettha Thavisin at his side.
Scholz, speaking with Srettha to reporters…[Read more]

Germany promises to cut down paper bureaucracy

Germany’s government promised to slash the country’s notorious thicket of bureaucracy on Wednesday.

The cabinet agreed to draft a new law after a public campaign to cut red tape for German businesses, municipalities and citizens.

Under the changes, hotels would no longer be obliged to register…[Read more]

Australia: One dead, 29 rescued after gold mine collapse

One man has died and another has been seriously injured after rocks collapsed at a gold mine in Ballarat, Australia, on Thursday.

Authorities were called to the Ballarat Gold Mine, around 100 kilometers (62 miles) west of Melbourne, on Wednesday night after reports of a rockfall.

“Two…[Read more]

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz defends his refusal to send Ukraine Taurus missiles

The German government has been humiliated by a recent leaked recording of senior officers contradicting the chancellor’s public arguments.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz defended his refusal to send Taurus long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine, telling German lawmakers on…[Read more]

How does Germany compare to other EU countries?

If Germany passes the cannabis bill, it would join the growing ranks of European countries that have either legalized the drug or decriminalized its usage.

The Netherlands is, perhaps, the best-known example of a cannabis-tolerant country due to the proliferation of coffee shops since the…[Read more]

Germany’s Bundestag votes for cannabis legalization

New legislation put forward by Germany’s ruling coalition will allow limited possession and cultivation of the drug. The conservative Christian Democratic Union opposed the government’s proposal

Bundestag votes in favor of legalizing cannabis consumption
German lawmakers have approved the…[Read more]

Namibia, Gaza and German hypocrisy on genocide

On January 12, Germany said it will intervene on Israel’s behalf in the genocide case brought against it by South Africa at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over its war on Gaza.

“The German government firmly and explicitly rejects the accusation of genocide that has now been made aga…[Read more]

German lawyers sue Scholz, alleging complicity in Gaza ‘genocide’

Berlin, Germany – A group of lawyers is filing a criminal complaint with the German federal prosecutor against senior German politicians, including Chancellor Olaf Scholz, accusing them of “aiding and abetting” the genocide they say is being committed by Israel in Gaza.

Th…[Read more]

Germany hopes to boost military and deterrence

German politicians and some sections of the media have reacted to Donald Trump’s latest remarks about NATO by demanding that Germany radically boost its defense spending and even consider breaking its taboo on nuclear weapons.

Speaking at a campaign rally in South Carolina on Saturday, the former US…[Read more]

Singer Isaak to represent Germany at Eurovision 2024

German singer Isaak Guderian will represent the country at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

The annual cultural extravaganza, watched by millions of people, will be held inMalmö, Sweden, this year, after Swedish singer Loreen won the contest last year.

Isaak beat eight others
Isaak beat out…[Read more]

Germany: 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 welfare authority announced Thursday.

This is a pilot project for the nationwide introduction…[Read more]

German upper house approves bill easing citizenship rules

German lawmakers have passed a bill that makes the process of obtaining citizenship easier, and moved to simplify repatriations.

The naturalisation reform, approved by the upper house of parliament on Friday, allows people to become German citizens while keeping their original…[Read more]

German bank braces for wave of bad loans in ‘greatest real estate crisis since the financial crisis’

Deutsche Pfandbriefbank, or PBB, a German lender focused on real estate, has set aside more money for bad debts as it braces for what it says is the worst decline in commercial property values in 15 years.

PBB increased its provisions for los…[Read more]

Europe’s growth engine is sputtering. Can Germany’s economy be revived?

The world’s fourth-largest economy has got off to a bumpy start this year. A strike by Lufthansa ground crew on Wednesday was just the latest industrial action to cause travel chaos in recent weeks, after train drivers walked off the job in January over a wage dispute and f…[Read more]

German firm BASF to pull out of Xinjiang after Uyghur abuse claims

The German chemicals producer BASF has said it will withdraw from its two joint ventures in Xinjiang, after media reports about alleged human rights abuses relating to its partner company, which BASF’s CEO said crossed a red line.

In a statement on Friday, BASF said that while “…[Read more]

How to found a political party in Germany

Any adult citizen in Germany can vote, join a party, stand for election — or found their own party. No permission from the state is necessary, but founders must commit to basic democratic principles.

Foreigners can also establish a party in Germany. However, the majority of the party’s executive c…[Read more]

Will nuclear energy make a comeback in Germany?

One year ago, Germany took its three remaining nuclear power plants off the grid, consigning the technology to the history books.

Nuclear fission was once seen as the future. In the early 1960s, politicians and scientists in Germany thought that it would provide an endless supply of electricity,…[Read more]

Germany records a sharp rise in counterfeit bills

German authorities recorded a sharp increase in counterfeit cash in 2023, with around 56,600 banknotes theoretically worth almost €5.1 million withdrawn from circulation.

The figures, announced by the country’s central bank, the Bundesbank on Monday, represent a 28% increase in the number of n…[Read more]

German defense minister says the military is unfit for problems Europe faces

Germany’s defence minister has called for a “serious national debate” about the future of the country’s military, arguing that in its current state it is not fit to tackle the array of security policy challenges facing Europe.

Boris Pistorius, who has frequently called…[Read more]