Germany News

Two members of a 'fish mafia' jailed over sandwich war in Germany

Two organized criminals who fought for the right to sell fish sandwiches to tourists in a German town have been sentenced to jail after a series of violent attacks started by the licensing of the fish snacks.

German suspected serial killer nurse jailed for life

Oldenburg - A German nurse was sentenced to life in prison Thursday for murdering two hospital patients but authorities fear a far higher death toll after he admitted killing 30 people in a thrill-seeking life and death game.

Family of scientist Alan Turing seeks pardon for 49,000 other men

The family of world-renowned code-breaking scientist Alan Turing plans to demand that the government pardon 49,000 other men who, like Turing, were also persecuted for being gay.

German former MP goes on trial on child porn charges

Berlin - A former German lawmaker went on trial Monday accused of downloading child pornography in a case that triggered a major political scandal leading to the resignation of a cabinet minister.

Toddler dies as measles outbreak hits German capital

Berlin - A toddler suffering from measles has died in the German capital, health authorities said Monday, amid the country's worst outbreak in years and a debate about vaccinations.

Mein Kampf to be republished by academics in 2016

Seventy years after the author's death, Adolf Hitler's famous but obviously controversial autobiography is to be republished by a collection of academics next year once the copyright on the work expires in a two-volume new addition.

France, Germany, Japan in running for Australian submarine deal

Sydney - Australia on Friday said France, Germany and Japan were potential partners to design and build its next generation of submarines, in what will be its biggest ever defence procurement programme.

Poverty in Germany hits post-reunification high: Study

Berlin - Poverty in Germany has risen to its highest level since reunification in 1990, with the gap between rich and poor in Europe's top economy getting wider, a study said Thursday.Some 12.5 million people were classed as poor in 2013, up from 12.

German nurse says 'sorry' for killing over 30 patients

Berlin - A German former nurse who has admitted killing over 30 hospital patients with lethal injections in a thrill-seeking game to try to revive them apologised on Thursday to relatives of the victims.

German court halts eviction of 76-year-old smoker

Berlin - A German court ruled Wednesday that a 76-year-old smoker, facing eviction over the smoke and stench of full ashtrays emanating from his home, can stay in his apartment for now.

Hollande, Merkel, Poroshenko 'concerned' at ongoing Ukraine fighting

Paris - President Francois Hollande, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said Monday they were "concerned" about post-ceasefire fighting in the eastern Ukrainian town of Debaltseve, the French president's office said.

Terror jitters cast shadow over German carnival revelry

Berlin - Germany's carnival celebrations drew hundreds of thousands on to the streets Monday, despite fears of possible jihadist violence as the traditional "Mardi Gras" parade reflected themes of terror attacks and freedom of speech.

German anti-euro party wins first seats in western state

Berlin - Germany's anti-euro AfD party was Sunday set to win its first seats in a western state, boosting the populist group which has emerged amid the eurozone crisis to the right of Angela Merkel's conservatives.

Op-Ed: Greece adopts losing tactics in debt negotiations up to now

Athens - An article by Anatole Kaletsky suggests that although Greece is the weak party in negotiations for a new debt deal and Germany strong, if the two parties focus on what matters most to them, a deal that is positive for both could be negotiated.

German city cancels parade over 'Islamist attack' threat

Berlin - The German city of Braunschweig cancelled a planned carnival procession Sunday because of a "specific threat of an Islamist attack", police said.

German anti-euro party eyes first seats in western state assembly

Berlin - Germany's populist anti-euro AfD party hoped to capture its first seats in a western state legislature in an election Sunday in the country's second city of Hamburg.Around 1.

Greek daily's Nazi cartoon of Schaeuble 'vile'

Berlin - A spokesman for Germany's finance minister Friday condemned as "vile" a Greek newspaper caricature that showed Wolfgang Schaeuble in a Nazi-era army uniform, alluding to the Holocaust.

Germany marks 70 years since Dresden's WWII bombing

Dresden - German President Joachim Gauck warned Friday against a cult of victimhood over the World War II destruction of the city of Dresden 70 years ago."We know who started the murderous war," the head of state said in a remembrance church service.

Chronology of marathon negotiations on a Ukraine accord

Minsk - The marathon talks in Minsk that led to Thursday's Ukraine peace plan were punctuated with rumours, leaks, quips and arresting gazes by alternatively weary and incensed officials rotating in and out of negotiations.

Merkel, the woman in the middle of European crises

Berlin - Germany's Angela Merkel was the first to concede after a Ukraine peace plan was reached in Minsk that "big hurdles" remain to silence the guns, but many are already hailing her as Europe's peacemaker-in-chief.

Merkel: Waiting for 'sustainable proposal' from Greece

Washington - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Monday that Athens needs to present a "sustainable" plan as eurozone finance ministers prepare to meet later this week on the Greek debt crisis.

Merkel says 'peaceful order of Europe' at stake in Ukraine

Washington - German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned Monday that abandoning the principle of territorial integrity at the heart of the Ukraine crisis would jeopardize "the peaceful order of Europe.

Anti-Islam PEGIDA rally in Austria dwarfed by counter-demo

Linz - The first protest in the Austrian city of Linz by Germany's "anti-Islamisation" movement PEGIDA drew just 150 supporters Sunday and was dwarfed by a counter-demo by some 2,000 people, police said.

Greece has 'moral obligation' to claim German WWII reparations: PM

Atenas - Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said Sunday the country had a "moral obligation" to claim reparations from Germany for the damages wrought by the Nazis during World War II.

Measles outbreak in Germany 10 times worse than in U.S.

Berlin - With the number of confirmed measles cases reaching 110 in the United States, the debate over the safety of vaccination has become heated. But in Germany, there has been scant attention raised over a measles outbreak that is said to be ten times worse .

Berlin-Paris Ukraine bid aims to defend 'European peace': Merkel

Berlin - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Friday that she and French President Francois Hollande's initiative for conflict-wracked Ukraine was aimed at defending "European peace".

Merkel, Hollande arrive in Moscow for Ukraine talks with Putin

Moscow - German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande arrived in Moscow on Friday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin seen as a bid to avoid an escalation of violence in Ukraine.

Hollande, Merkel in fresh push for Ukraine peace

Paris - French President Francois Hollande said Thursday he and German Chancellor Angela Merkel would visit Kiev and Moscow in a fresh push for peace in Ukraine, but warned diplomacy "cannot go on indefinitely".

Hollande, Merkel to visit Kiev, Moscow in push for Ukraine peace

Paris - French President Francois Hollande said he and German Chancellor Angela Merkel would visit Kiev later Thursday, before heading to Moscow, in a fresh push to find a solution to the raging conflict in eastern Ukraine."Ukraine is at war.

Munich security meet to focus on 'collapse of global order'

Berlin - The Ukraine conflict, Islamic State group jihadists and the wider "collapse of the global order" will occupy the world's security community at an annual meeting in Germany from Friday.