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Germany

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Germany. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Capital

Berlin

Head of State

President Frank-Walter Steinmeier

Head of Government

Chancellor Olaf Scholz

Friedrich Merz after he was not elected new chancellor. Photo: AP

Donald Trump

In historic first, Merz fails to become Germany’s chancellor in opening vote

The lower house of parliament, or Bundestag, now has 14 days to elect Friedrich Merz or another candidate.

52 minutes ago

Britain

UK begins VE Day celebrations to mark 80 years since end of World War II

6 May 2025 - 10:52AM

United States

‘Tyranny in disguise’: AfD sues German intelligence over extremist label

5 May 2025 - 6:43PM

Star Wars

May the 4th be with you: church in Germany stages cosplay ‘Star Wars’ service

Star Wars Day has evolved over the years into an informal holiday celebrating the space epic.

5 May 2025 - 2:51PM

Pastor Samuel Dorr, left, performs a lightsaber duel with a member of the congregation during a Star Wars-themed church service in Bensberg, Germany on Sunday. Photo: dpa via AP

Central banks

Fed’s Powell is about to defy Trump and hold rates steady

With their eye on inflation, officials are inclined to hold rates steady when they meet in Washington, defying Trump’s pressure to cut interest rates.

4 May 2025 - 6:46PM

United States

Germany labels AfD party as ‘extremist’, sparking diplomatic feud with US

Berlin told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio ‘this is democracy’ after he called the move ‘tyranny in disguise’.

3 May 2025 - 8:51AM

Hungary

Wiener wonderland: hundreds of dachshunds chase record in Hungary

500 dachshunds were present – enough to set a Hungarian record, but still short of the Guinness mark set in Regensburg.

1 May 2025 - 10:55PM

A Dachshund and owner try to set Hungary’s record for the largest dog walk of a single breed. Dachshunds, a short, muscular breed with stubby legs, were first bred in Germany, and remain one of Hungary’s most popular dog breeds. Photo: AP

Music

Secret message discovered in violin reveals its Nazi camp origins

Art dealers found that a skilfully crafted violin they had long owned was made by a Jewish prisoner at the Dachau Nazi concentration camp.

1 May 2025 - 11:15AM

European Union

Germany’s Merz to form government after coalition deal clears last hurdle

Friedrich Merz to take oath as Germany’s chancellor on Sunday after the SPD approved coalition deal.

30 Apr 2025 - 4:28PM

Britain

UK to stop foreign sex offenders receiving refugee protections

‘Sex offenders who pose a risk to the community should not be allowed to benefit from refugee protections in the UK,’ interior ministry said.

29 Apr 2025 - 6:02AM

Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer, left, and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper. Photo: PA via AP

US-China relations

US scientists given access to moon rocks brought back by China’s Chang’e-5 probe

Chinese space agency says American scientists will be among the international researchers allowed to study lunar samples.

25 Apr 2025 - 12:06AMvideocam

The Chang’e-5 lunar probe brought samples back to Earth in 2020. Photo: Reuters

US-China trade war

Survey finds 86% of German firms in China affected by tariff increases

While many are adopting a wait-and-see approach, 38% are stepping up localisation efforts in China.

23 Apr 2025 - 11:16PM

Food and Drinks

TikTokker’s quest to find the best kebabs at Berlin’s subway stations

For more than a year, German TikTok influencer Can F Kennedy has been eating his way through kebab shops in or near Berlin’s subway stops.

23 Apr 2025 - 6:45PMvideocam

Italy

Explainer | Who could succeed Pope Francis in the Vatican’s secretive conclave?

Several contenders have emerged to replace Pope Francis, with each bringing unique qualities and influences to the Vatican’s future leadership.

21 Apr 2025 - 10:50PMvideocam

A person stands next to a photograph of Pope Francis inside Saint Anthony Catholic Church in Istanbul, Turkey on Monday. Photo: AP

European Union

ECB cuts interest rates for 7th time in a row amid global trade tension

The cut was widely expected by analysts given the sudden shadow cast by Trump’s April 2 announcement of unexpectedly high tariffs.

18 Apr 2025 - 1:06AMvideocam

The headquarters of the European Central Bank in Frankfurt. Photo: AFP

Tourism

Weimar, the German city rich in literary and architectural history

Few European cities have a history as culturally rich as Weimar, once home to Goethe, a giant of world literature.

17 Apr 2025 - 4:00PM

China-EU relations

EU’s ‘trade bazooka’ was meant for China. Could the US be hit instead?

Bloc turns some of the weapons it had trained on Beijing towards Washington for potential use in the erstwhile allies’ worsening trade war.

17 Apr 2025 - 5:01PMvideocam

Crime

Berlin doctor charged with murder of 15 palliative care patients

He allegedly administered an anaesthetic and a muscle relaxer to the patients without their knowledge or consent.

16 Apr 2025 - 5:49PMvideocam

Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate. A Berlin doctor who was part of a nursing service’s end-of-life care team was initially suspected of the deaths of just four patients. That number has crept higher since last summer. Photo: EPA-EFE

Ukraine war

Trump blames Biden and Zelensky for failing to prevent war in Ukraine

‘President Zelensky and Crooked Joe Biden did an absolutely horrible job in allowing this travesty to begin,’ Trump wrote on social media.

15 Apr 2025 - 9:32AMvideocam

Diplomacy

My Take | It’s time for the European Union to do a ‘Kissinger’ with China

If Brussels wants to achieve ‘strategic autonomy’ in what has become a multipolar world, the only option that it has is to draw closer to Beijing.

13 Apr 2025 - 9:00PM

Food and Drinks

Why white asparagus is such an underground success in Germany

Thicker than the green version, and with a more subtle taste, white asparagus is a traditional springtime favourite of cooks in Germany.

12 Apr 2025 - 1:15PM

White asparagus is a spring favourite in Germany, and its delicate flavour is the result of it being grown underground. Photo: EPA-EFE

China trade

US, EU, German business chambers in China brace for ‘long-lasting’ trade war

Some say China-US strife offers an opportunity for other third countries to re-evaluate their relationship with China.

12 Apr 2025 - 1:00PMvideocam

Foreign businesses operating in Chinese business hubs such as Beijing (pictured) are worried about the impact of the US-China trade war. Photo: AFP

Environment

‘Ant-agonistic’: aggressive ants threaten Germany’s infrastructure

The ants – in colonies with hundreds of thousands to millions of individuals – have also been noticed elsewhere in Europe, including France.

11 Apr 2025 - 9:52PMvideocam

Ukraine war

European nations promise to send Ukraine billions more to help fight Russia

Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov said he was ‘thankful’ and said a key issue was strengthening his country’s air defences.

11 Apr 2025 - 9:26PMvideocam

China trade

China kicks off hunt for rare quartz, with hi-tech aspirations in mind

The critical mineral, used to produce silicon, is a foundational material for strategic industries like semiconductors and photovoltaics – and now it can be mined in China.

10 Apr 2025 - 9:51PMvideocam

China is searching for reserves of a rare quartz that is critically important in the production of solar panels. Photo: AFP

United States

US-Russian citizen released in Moscow-Washington prisoner swap

Ksenia Karelina was convicted of treason on charges stemming from a donation of about US$52 to a charity aiding Ukraine.

10 Apr 2025 - 7:19PMvideocam

Russian-American dual citizen Ksenia Karelina attends a court hearing in Russia on august 15, 2024 after she was accused of treason for making a donation to a charity supporting Ukraine. Photo: Reuters

Angela Merkel

Germany’s Merz gets coalition deal, eyes reviving growth as global trade war looms

Merz, who called the US an unreliable ally, has already vowed to build up defence spending as Europe faces a hostile Russia.

9 Apr 2025 - 10:12PMvideocam

China-EU relations

EU frets over flood of Chinese imports as Trump stokes tariff war

Advocates for easier trade with Beijing, including Spain, face off against Poland and others backing protections against Chinese imports.

8 Apr 2025 - 2:07AMvideocam

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