Chancellor says the circumstances of the attacks in Hanau need to be fully investigated but the shootings have exposed the ‘poison’ of racism in German society. She pledges to stand up against those who ‘seek to divide the country’. Nine people were killed when a gunman opened fire at two shisha bars. He then killed his mother and himself at home, police say
Continue reading...Category Archives: Germany
German shisha bar attacks: what we know so far – video report
A man has killed nine people after opening fire at two shisha bars in Hanau, near Frankfurt. He then shot himself and his 72-year-old mother at home, according to police. Investigators believe a racist motive was behind the attack and some of those killed had Turkish backgrounds
Continue reading...Footage shows aftermath of deadly shisha bar attacks in Germany – video
Several people have been killed and others seriously injured after two shootings at shisha bars in the western German city of Hanau, police say. At least nine people died in the attacks that took place on Wednesday night. The suspect and one other person were also found dead after police launched a huge hunt for the perpetrator
Continue reading...Hanau shooting: 11 dead after attacks on shisha bars in German town
Suspect and one other person found dead after nine killed in attacks earlier on two cafes 25km east of Frankfurt
At least 11 people have been killed – including the suspect – and others seriously injured after two shootings at shisha bars in the German town of Hanau, according to local police.
Nine people died in the attacks on the two bars at around 10pm on Wednesday night, police said.
Continue reading...Germany: senior CDU figure announces surprise leadership candidacy
Norbert Röttgen throws hat in ring to replace Merkel after Kramp-Karrenbauer steps aside
A senior German conservative politician, who was once seen as the brains behind Angela Merkel’s inner circle but was later sacked by the chancellor, has put himself forward as a surprise candidate to take over as leader of her Christian Democratic Union (CDU), further complicating the party’s chaotic succession planning.
Norbert Röttgen announced his candidacy for the soon-to-be vacant seat at the top of the CDU in a press conference on Tuesday, saying he had decided to run because he believed the party should strategically position itself as the “party of the centre”.
Continue reading...Japan’s economy heading for recession, and Germany wobbles
International trade slump and coronavirus outbreak combine to weaken consumer demand
Japan’s economy is heading for a recession this year after figures showed the world’s third largest economy slumped by an annual rate of 6.3% during the last quarter of 2019.
Germany, the world’s fourth largest economy, is also expected to stumble as the coronavirus epidemic and a slump in trade with China combine with weak consumer demand to drag growth lower.
Continue reading...Macron sets out 10-year vision for EU with call for more integration
French president says EU must have effective defence policy, larger budget and integrated capital markets
Europe’s middle classes will only remain reconciled to the European Union if it becomes more integrated, with an effective defence policy, a larger budget and integrated capital markets, and is shorn of vetoes that slow decision-making, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, has said.
Setting out his 10-year vision for Europe on Saturday, Macron said he still wanted to see the UK involved in defence, but urged European countries to recognise that in terms of social welfare, Europe had a different values to the US.
Continue reading...Fears grow that CDU crisis in Germany could spread across EU
Pressure mounts on Angela Merkel’s party to find new leader after AKK resignation
Pressure is growing on Angela Merkel’s troubled Christian Democratic Union to speed up the process of finding a new leader, amid warnings from senior party members that paralysis within the party could spread across the EU when Germany assumes the rotating presidency of the council of the European Union in the second half of the year.
The German centre-right has been in turmoil since Merkel’s designated successor, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, resigned after CDU politicians in the eastern state of Thuringia defied instructions not to side with the far right in a state election.
Continue reading...German economy stagnates as eurozone growth hits seven-year low – business live
Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news, including the latest eurozone growth figures
- Latest: Eurozone growth weakens to 0.1%
- Breaking: German GDP flatlined in October-December
- German economy only grew 0.6% in 2019
- ING: Germany at risk of recession
Andrew Kenningham of Capital Economics has told clients:
“We think the economy will continue to flirt with recession in the first half of this year.”
It’s hard to put too much gloss on a stagnating economy, but the German government has tried to strike an optimistic-ish tone this morning.
Berlin’s economy ministry says Germany’s economy is going through a weak phase, but it’s encouraged that business sentiment has improved.
Continue reading...CIA controlled global encryption company for decades, says report
Swiss government orders inquiry after revelations Crypto AG was owned and operated by US and German intelligence
The Swiss government has ordered an inquiry into a global encryption company based in Zug following revelations it was owned and controlled for decades by US and German intelligence.
Related: Joe Biden leaves New Hampshire early as Democrats vote in primary – live
Continue reading...Demise of AKK throws Merkel’s placid path to retirement off course
Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer resignation rips up CDU’s plans for post-Merkel era
The year 2020 was meant to be a relatively quiet time in Europe’s largest economy.
With regular elections only scheduled for the city state of Hamburg, where the centre-left remains strong and the far-right Alternative für Deutschland party (AfD) is projected to get an underwhelming 7% share of the vote, Angela Merkel’s last full year in power promised to be a stable pathway into her political retirement. A good time to focus, at last, on urgent geopolitical challenges: Trump, China, the eurozone.
Continue reading...Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer to quit as CDU leader amid far-right ‘firewall’ row
Successor to Angela Merkel also says she won’t run for chancellorship of Germany
Angela Merkel’s designated successor has announced she is not planning to run for the German chancellorship at the next federal election and plans to step down as leader of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), German media reported on Monday morning.
The surprise announcement comes in the middle of a major row over the centre-right party’s “firewall” against the far-right, after CDU delegates in eastern Germany defied the party headquarter’s ban on cooperating with the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD).
Continue reading...German MPs taken aback by Johnson’s hardline trade rhetoric
In London for LSE symposium, politicians express confusion at Britain’s post-Brexit stance
A flood of senior German politicians visiting the UK this week have been left confused and unnerved by the hardline rhetoric set out by Boris Johnson on trade talks, prompting warnings that the risk of a breakdown, or a no-deal Brexit, is as high as it has ever been.
Germany takes on the EU presidency in the second half of this year, and will have a crucial role in helping the European commission to steer the talks on a future UK-EU trading relationship to a successful conclusion by the end of the transition period in December.
Continue reading...The Guardian view on Libya and foreign interference: talking peace, shipping arms | Editorial
The north African country’s population have suffered years of turmoil, fuelled by the meddling of outside players. The civil war may yet escalate
Let’s all be good. This was, in essence, the conclusion of the conference in Berlin this month which aimed to at least begin the work of ending a war which has cost thousands of lives and displaced hundreds of thousands of people in Libya. Participants agreed that foreign meddling should cease and that everyone should abide by the UN arms embargo.
Despite the desperate need for peace, there was good reason to be cynical. The host, Angela Merkel, argued publicly with the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, over what had actually been agreed. Fighting soon raged again. The UN refugee agency announced on Thursday that it is suspending all operations at a facility in Tripoli and moving refugees from the site, fearing for their safety and that of its staff and partners amid worsening conflict. The UN says that several participants in the Berlin meeting have since shipped both arms and mercenaries to Libya, blatantly violating the embargo.
Continue reading...German nurse arrested after babies poisoned with morphine
Woman suspected of attempted manslaughter of five premature babies saved by hospital staff
A nurse in Germany has been arrested on suspicion of poisoning five premature babies with morphine, police said, adding that all the infants survived.
The woman was taken into custody on Wednesday after investigators found a syringe containing breast milk and traces of morphine in her locker at Ulm university hospital in southern Germany.
Continue reading...‘Talk less, do more’: World Jewish Congress leader’s call to halt antisemitism
Ronald Lauder’s Auschwitz memorial address will demand action against a rising tide of hatred
The president of the World Jewish Congress has accused leaders of contributing to the “drip, drip method” of spreading antisemitism, comparing it to the defamation campaigns that culminated in the Holocaust.
Ahead of the 75th anniversary on Mondayof the liberation of the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau, Ronald Lauder said that governments spent too much time talking about the dangers of antisemitism and not enough time tackling it.
Continue reading...Six people killed in shooting in south-west Germany
Police arrest suspect after incident in Rot am See
Six people have been killed and several injured in a shooting in the south-western German town of Rot am See, police have said.
A suspect has been arrested and no further suspects are believed to be at large, police from the nearby town of Aalen said.
Continue reading...Libya: Sanctions threatened against countries who break arms embargo
Johnson says international peacekeeping force could monitor the proposed ceasefire
World leaders seeking an enduring ceasefire in Libya have agreed at a summit to impose sanctions on those breaking an arms embargo and are considering whether to send a multinational force to the country.
The conference in Berlin of 11 countries is aimed at bringing an end to the fighting between the UN-recognised government in Tripoli led by the prime minister, Fayez al-Sarraj, and the Libyan National Army in the country’s east led by Gen Khalifa Haftar.
Continue reading...European troops may be at risk after dispute process triggered – Iran
Hassan Rouhani’s threat to western allies comes amid fears of reimposition of sanctions
Iran’s president Hassan Rouhani has warned that European soldiers in the Middle East could be in danger after the UK, France and Germany triggered a dispute mechanism in the nuclear agreement that could lead to the reimposition of international sanctions on the country.
Rouhani’s remarks on Wednesday were the first direct threat he has made against European powers as tensions have grown between Tehran and Washington since Donald Trump unilaterally abandoned the nuclear deal more than 18 months ago.
Continue reading...Climate activist turns down Siemens’ offer of seat on energy board
Protest group leader Luisa Neubauer says she would lose right to criticise the company
The leader of Germany’s Friday for Future climate protests has said she turned down a seat on the board of Siemens’ new energy business amid growing anger over its role in a controversial coal mining project in Australia as she feared she would lose the right to criticise the company.
Luisa Neubauer, 23, the German face of the campaign group inspired by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, who has campaigned alongside her, said on Monday the position would jeopardise her independence if she had taken up the offer from its chief executive, Joe Kaeser, made at a meeting in Berlin on Friday.
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