Europe U.S. Allies in Europe Begin to Pull Back
William Pfaff

Five NATO governments made it known that they want American nuclear weapons removed from their territory. They include the Benelux three, together with Germany and Norway. The five reportedly will ask that all the European NATO governments endorse their position before a meeting in New York in May.

Galileo is here!
How the EU’s new satellite system Galileo will make life easier for motorists and pilots and even help farmers.

OECD countries should tackle gender wage gap
A recent OECD report suggests governments and firms should do more to bridge the gender pay gap.

The Leipzig Book Fair and Thuringia Bach Festival
Coming up: The Leipzig Book Fair and the Thuringia Bach Festival.

UN urged to quickly establish super-agency for women
Luxembourg’s Viviane Reding insists that the time for talking about a UN agency for women’s issues is over: “It’s time to act.”

New museum takes shape at heart of Nazi terror
Five years after opening a sprawling Holocaust Memorial in the heart of the city, Berlin is preparing to inaugurate a major new museum, this time targeting the Nazi perpetrators.

What next for Google?
The conviction of three Google bosses by a court in Milan could have serious consequences for the internet giant, experts say.

French air controllers turbulent as Europe's skies merge
Fearing ‘social consequences’, French air traffic controllers launch a five-day strike to protest against the creation of a single European sky.

French strike threatens to choke off petrol pumps
With families hitting the road for the half-term holiday, unions warned petrol could run short within days thanks to strikes at Total's six refineries.

Scientists shed light on sleep through the ages
New insights include a 90-minute nap is as beneficial as a full night of sleep and lower sleep efficiency affects young adults compared to older adults.

Dutch government falls over Afghan military mission
The Hague coalition parties clashed over a NATO request to extend the Netherlands' military mission in Afghanistan, the prime minister said.

Expatica - German Headlines
Expatica - German Headlines

 

Volkswagen profits plunge 80% but sees good times ahead
Europes biggest carmaker Volkswagen posted a 80% plunge in its 2009 profits but said it had a cautiously optimistic outlook for 2010. Speaking at the groups annual press conference in the German city of Wolfsburg VW chief Martin Winterkorn called 2009 a real test for the entire automotive industry with...

Disasters not a disaster for Munich Re which profits
Germanys Munich Re one of the worlds leading reinsurers said Wednesday it expects to post a profit of more than 2 billion euros $2.7 billion this year despite last months earthquake in Chile and a hefty winter storm in Europe. The Munich-based insurer said it expects claims of up to...

More and more foreigners arent coming to Germany
The number of foreign nationals living in Germany fell in 2009 largely due to new laws making it easier to become German according to data released last week. At the end of 2009 around 6.7 million foreigners were living in Germany - 32 800 fewer than in the previous year....

Alleged Mastermind of Auschwitz sign theft faces
A man believed to have planned the theft of the historic Arbeit macht frei sign from the former Auschwitz concentration camp may be extradited to face charges abroad Swedish prosecutors said. Deputy Chief Prosecutor Agneta Hilding Qvarnstrom asked the Stockholm district court to rule that the 35-year-old suspect may be...

Four Islamists are jailed after foiled terrorist plots
Two German converts to Islam have been sentenced to jail for 12 years each after being convicted of heading a home-grown Islamist conspiracy to blow up US army bases and other targets on German soil. Police who had been tapping their phones arrested them and two other plotters in 2007...

Porsche cant pass US gas stations so it faces fines
Theyre super-fast but Porsches sleek driving machines guzzle gas at such a rate they violate fuel efficiency regulations in the United States and the German auto maker may have to pay through the nose while its drivers pay at the pump. Porsche could soon face severe fines in the US...

West bank says its making money but will cut jobs too
The head of beleaguered Düsseldorf-based bank WestLB said he expected it to turn a profit in 2010 based on figures that suggest the bank remained operative in 2009 without the need for restructuring. WestLB boss Dietrich Voigtlander said We at least want to be in the black. But the figures...

Bad times continue for Commerzbank off deep losses
Germanys second largest bank Commerzbank has reported sharp losses for the fourth quarter and all of 2009 but still voiced cautious optimism for this year company officials said. The partially state-owned Commerzbank posted a quarterly net loss of 1.86 billion euros and an annual loss of 4.54 billion euros. The...

Daimler posts €2.6 billion loss for 2009
German carmaker Daimler announced a €2.6-billion loss for 2009 on 18 February - but said it hoped to return to profitability this year. Last year saw earnings before tax and interest slump to €1.5 billion from €2.7 billion in 2008 while sales were down from €98.5 billion to €78.9 billion....

Puma reports drop in earnings for 2009
Sporting goods manufacturer Puma reported a decline in earnings for 2009 on February 17 but said it was hoping the football World Cup in Africa would help 2010 sales. Earnings before taxes slumped from €326.4 million to €184.1 million during the 12 months ending in December. Net earnings for the...

Berlin New Delhi discuss economic security ties
German President Horst Koehler held talks with Indian leaders in New Delhi on 2 February to deepen the partnership between the two countries including economic and security cooperation. Accompanied by a high-level business delegation Koehler 66 arrived in the Indian capital on 1 February to begin a week-long tour. Koehler was...

Merkel supports bid to buy tax evasion data
German Chancellor Angela Merkel swept aside doubts in her coalition on 1 February saying she favored purchasing data stolen from Swiss banks if it helped Germany catch wealthy tax evaders Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa reported. Swiss leaders have expressed concern that Berlin would be willing to buy bank customer lists apparently stolen...

Porsche BMW sales drop upbeat about future
Luxury carmakers Porsche and BMW both claimed they were beginning to climb out of the global automotive slump despite showing lower sales figures. The decline in sales of Porsche sports cars recovered significantly in the first half of the companys 2009/10 business year to 31 January Porsche Automobil Holding SE...

Infineon raises sales projection
Europes second-largest chipmaker Infineon Technologies AG said the group sharply raised its sales projection for the year and returned to profit during the three months to the end of 2009. Infineon posted net income of €66 million in the groups fiscal first quarter compared with a loss of €404 million...

Consumer confidence falls again on job fears
Unemployment fears resulted in German consumer confidence falling for the fourth month in a row a survey released on 25 January from the Nuremberg-based GfK marketing group showed. The group said its forward-looking consumer confidence index slipped more than forecast to 3.2 points for February after falling to a revised 3.4...

VW reduces global market sales forecast
German auto giant Volkswagen revised its previous assumptions for global car market sales lower by 67 million vehicles for the period through 2018 Automobilwoche reported citing a letter presented to VWs top management. This means a loss for the global market during this period that is equivalent to an entire...

Metal workers union sees jobs at risk
Germanys labor union IG Metall estimates that around 700 000 jobs are at risk in the auto and engineering sector and elsewhere if employers politicians and workers dont join forces to prevent mass layoffs the unions head Berthold Huber told journalists in Frankfurt on 25 January. IG Metall is the...

No decision made on nuclear lifespan
A spokesman for the German government said on 23 January no decision was taken at the meeting on 21 January on the life-span extension of nuclear power plants. As said at the regular government press conference on Friday 22 January no negotiations took place and no decisions were taken on...

Dombronskis wins vote but cracks appear in coalition
Latvian Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis won the recent crucial parliamentary vote to ensure the medium-term future of the Baltic states €7.5 billion international aid package despite a large-scale rebellion within his own ruling coalition. Dombrovskis won a vote by 54 to 22 on whether he could continue negotiations with lenders...

Merkel defends government work €20-billion tax-cut
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on 20 January defended her governments handling of the economic crisis saying that a €20-billion tax-cut plan for 2011 would go ahead. We have managed to do the right thing to prevent falling into the abyss Merkel told the Bundestag her countrys parliament. However in the face...

Eurowings starts laying of staff
A Lufthansa subsidiary Eurowings said on 19 January that it was making redundant half its staff and disposing of half of its inventory of airplanes. The contraction is part of a cost-cutting restructuring at Lufthansa Germanys main airline aimed at scrapping smaller planes Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa reported. Eurowings which operates domestic...

Investor confidence posts fourth straight monthly fall
German investor confidence fell for the fourth consecutive month in January amid signs of a muted recovery in Europes biggest economy a key indicator released on 19 January showed. The Mannheim-based Centre for European Economic Researchs ZEW index measuring the mood among analysts and institutional investors slipped more than forecast...

Berlin Tel Aviv discuss joint security issues
German Chancellor Angela Merkel received Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on 18 January as a joint meeting of the two countries cabinets got under way in Berlin. The two countries signed an agreement to cooperate in providing aid to developing countries - an agreement expected to give Israeli humanitarian efforts...

CDU mulling backtrack on tax-cut promised for 2011
Senior members of German Chancellor Angela Merkels Christian Democrats CDU have cast doubt over a €20-billion tax cut promised for 2011. German media reported on 12 January sources in the Finance Ministry have hinted that a decision on the cuts which were signed into the coalition deal signed between the...

Air Berlin passenger numbers fall in 2009
Germanys second biggest airline Air Berlin Plc said on 11 Janaury that its passenger numbers edged up in December but the economic crisis resulted in a hefty fall for 2009. The numbers flying with Air Berlin crept up by 0.8% to 2.05 million in December compared with the same month...

Economy to post solid growth
Germanys wholesale and export association BGA predicted on 12 January that Europes biggest economy could grow between 2.5 and 3% this year as the nation shakes off recession. After the unprecedented contraction the German economy is once again back in step BGA chief Anton Boerner said in Berlin. Boerner said...

Mercedes-Benz sales increase 77% in China
German-US automaker DaimlerChrysler on 12 January said sales of Mercedes-Benz vehicles in China soared by 77% last year well above the 46% annual growth in the overall Chinese car market. Mercedes-Benz China sold to 68 500 vehicles in mainland China and Hong Kong in 2009 helping it to reinforce its...

Westerwelle presses dispute over tax cuts
The Free Democrat Party FDP the junior partner in Chancellor Angela Merkels ruling coalition on 6 January pressed a dispute with Merkel who is resisting FDP calls for deep tax cuts. But FDP leaders also muted some of the bickering that has strained the 10-week-old coalition. At a national FDP rally in...

Bosch announces diesel engine project in India
The Indian arm of German engineering giant Bosch said on 4 anuary it would invest more than USD 400 million over two years to expand in the countrys fast-growing diesel engine market The Local reported. India is witnessing a strong increase in demand for diesel engines the company a major...

Retail sales drop in November
Germany retail sales unexpectedly fell in November figures released on 7 January showed as concerns grow about the risk of rising unemployment in Europes biggest economy. The Federal Statistics Office said retail sales dropped by 1.1% month on month in November. The statistics office now expects retail sales in the...

Fiat emerges as a winner of car scrapping plan
Italian carmaker Fiat has emerged as a major beneficiary of Berlins scheme aimed at helping to shield the auto industry from the global economic crisis data released on 6 January showed. Fiats new car sales in Germany last year raced ahead by 86% to 164 000 the German Federal Motor...

Consumers to start year on sober note
German consumers are entering the New Year in a down mood with a key survey released recently posting a fall confidence among households in Europes biggest economy. Despite a buoyant end to the Christmas shopping season the Nuremberg-based GfK marketing group said its forward-looking consumer confidence index slipped more than...

First Islamic bank to open in early 2010
Germanys first Islamic bank a unit of Kuveyt Turk Bank of Turkey is to open its doors in early 2010 in the southern city of Mannheim an executive confirmed on 29 December. Under Islamic banking principles interest on loans is forbidden and money cannot be lent to enterprises that flout...

German-Israeli cabinet meeting set for 18 January
An historic joint cabinet meeting of Israeli and German ministers in Berlin is scheduled for 18 January a German government spokesman said on 29 December Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa reported. The talks were postponed from their original date in November when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fell ill. German Chancellor Angela...

Koerting accuses Turkey of interference in Germany
An official in the German city-state of Berlin charged Turkey on 29 December with interfering in German affairs. Germanys biggest foreign-citizen group comprises 1.7 million Turkish nationals. In some areas of integration we have problems because the Turkish state regards itself as politically responsible for Turks in Germany and interferes...

Safety issues strain toy industry
Satisfying competing safety regulations is a strain on the world toy industry according to an executive on 29 December one month before the Nuremberg Toy Fair in Germany. Two years ago leading world manufacturers recalled several toys amid fears that babies might swallow small parts or toxic paint. Safety is...

Police raid LBBW in junk-loans inquiry
Police raided the offices and homes of executives at Germanys biggest public bank on 13 November pursing an inquiry into how Landesbank Baden-Wuerttemberg LBBW invested in nearly worthless loans three years ago. Prosecutors in Stuttgart said seven current or former management board members at LBBW were suspected of serious misappropriation...

Germany to compensate victims of Afghan airstrike
Germany is to compensate the families of Afghan civilians killed in an airstrike in September the Defense Ministry said on 7 December. The ministry was in contact with a lawyer representing the victims families a ministry spokesman said in Berlin. Up to 142 people were killed in the late-night attack...

Factory orders post surprise fall in October
German factory orders posted a surprise fall in October data released on 7 December showed highlighting the fragility of the recovery in Europes biggest economy. October industrial orders dropped by a price- and seasonally- adjusted 2.1% after rising 1.3% in September the Ministry of Economics and Technology said. New orders...

Berlin warns Beijing of protectionism
German Economics Minister Rainer Bruederle on his inaugural visit to China said on 7 December that he and Chinese Trade Minister Chen Deming had agreed to fight the sweet poison of protectionism. Both countries - the incumbent and the upcoming world export champion - have an elemental interest in markets...

Papandreou Davutoglu cite closer cooperation on 4 levels
Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou held a meeting in an excellent atmosphere with visiting Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on 2 December on the sidelines of the 17th OSCE ministerial council in Athens. Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas who also attended the meeting told a press conference that both...

Porsche board agrees integration with VW
Luxury German sports carmaker Porsche said recently its board had agreed to the groups planned integration into Volkswagen Europes biggest auto manufacturer. The decision by the Porsche supervisory board came after German-based VWs supervisory board agreed to the contracts paving the way for its planned takeover of the legendary sports...

Berlin Tel Aviv renew negotiations
Germans have a special responsibility toward Israel visiting German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said in Jerusalem on 23 November as he toured the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial to the six million Jews murdered by the Nazis during World War II. Westerwelle who had only just arrived in Israel laid a...

Kunduz airstrike relatives to demand compensation
Dozens of relatives of people killed in a controversial NATO airstrike in Afghanistan are to attempt to claim compensation from the German government it emerged recently. Karim Popal a lawyer said in an interview with the Weser-Kurier newspaper that he was preparing a class-action suit against the government on behalf...

Lufthansa to carry more people per jet
German airline Lufthansa plans to pack passengers tighter together so that it can save costs by carrying more people per jet a spokeswoman confirmed on 17 November in Frankfurt. Seat pitch - the row interval measured from any part of a seat to the identical part of the seat behind...

Ackermann for new bank anti-crisis fund
Deutsche Bank chief Josef Ackermann said he supported the creation of a new European emergency fund to help banks through the type of crises that gripped the world international financial sector over the last more than two years. He told Euro Finance Week conference in Frankfurt on 16 November that...

Crisis at universities leads to demonstrations
A mounting crisis at German universities where the government and professors blame one another for overcrowding and student stress boiled over on 17 November into street demonstrations. Students are angry that courses which used to last five years are being compressed to three without much reduction in what they have...

BMW Audi sales edge higher
Two of the worlds top luxury carmakers - BMW and Audi - forecast on 9 November further rises in worldwide sales after posting modest gains in sales last month amid signs that the premium auto sector is recovering from the economic crisis. While Munich-based BMW the worlds leading premium carmaker...

From Berlin to Athens: Thoughts on the Wall
By Kostis Geropoulos From the end of the summer there was a wave of fear said Petra Rochner a high school teacher providing a personal account of what it was like living in East Germany in 1989. It was forbidden for teachers to participate in the Montags-Demonstrations. I had two small...

Economy accelerates as recovery kicks in
The German economy grew by 0.7% during the third quarter the countrys statistics office said on 13 November with a pickup in exports and corporate investment driving the expansion rate in Europes biggest economy. But - underscoring the depth of the downturn that engulfed the nation over the last 12...

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Germany News - New Europe News: The European News Source.

 

Official report: Dresden bombing killed 25,000
Up to 25,000 people were killed in the controversial Allied bombing of the German city of Dresden during World War II, fewer than often estimated, an official commission concluded Wednesday.

Elisa Moolecherry: Bringing English theatre to Munich
The Local's series "Making it in Germany" presents Elisa Moolecherry, the Canadian actor and entrepreneur behind Munich's English-language BeMe Theatre.

BMW looks forward to strong profits
The world's top-selling luxury car maker, BMW, announced Wednesday its pre-tax profit for 2010 would grow significantly, helped by a surge in new or revamped models such as the popular 5-series.

Erdogan urges German Turks not to integrate
The Turkish government has reportedly angered Turkish-German politicians by inviting them to an Istanbul conference and then urging them to resist political and social integration in their adopted homeland.

Porsche sheds debt but expects yearly loss
The German luxury carmaker Porsche said on Wednesday that has paid down nearly half its mountain of debt but that it expects to suffer a net loss in its current fiscal year.

British woman dead after German doctor botches operation
An elderly British woman died not long after a German surgeon working as a locum botched an operation on her hip, severing an artery, British media reported on Wednesday.

Guttenberg kick-starts shorter conscription periods
Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg is to bring forward the government's scheduled reduction of compulsory military service from 2011 to this autumn despite criticism from the ranks, a media report said Wednesday.

Merkel: paedophilia not just a Church problem
Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday said that sexual abuse of children was not solely a problem facing the Catholic Church in Germany, amid a snowballing scandal over paedophile priests.

Half of Germany's new hires face job insecurity
One half of new hires - mainly immigrants, women and young people - receive only temporary contracts from their German employers, sparking calls from trade unions to make changes to employment law.

Siemens to cut 1,000 jobs in spin-off
The German industrial group Siemens will cut at least 1,000 jobs as it restructures its SIS information services unit with an eye towards listing it on the stock market, a press report said on Wednesday.

Westerwelle attacks homophobic: colleague
The hailstorm of criticism that has battered Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle lately over his travel entourage was partly driven by homophobia, his ministerial colleague Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger said Wednesday.

Soaring ATM fees targeted by parliament
German banking customers being stung by cash machine withdrawal fees of up to €10 may get some relief after parliament's consumer affairs official declared Wednesday he planned to investigate the soaring costs.

Poker bandit turns himself in to police
Eleven days after armed robbers snatched €242,000 from a poker game in a daring heist at Berlin's Grand Hyatt Hotel, one of the culprits has turned himself into police.

Electricity prices to rise for every fifth household
Every fifth German household will face rising electricity prices in the coming weeks, a consumer report said on Tuesday.

Deutsche's Ackermann pockets EUR 10 mln for 2009
Deutsche Bank announced on Tuesday the 2009 compensation package for CEO Josef Ackermann was nearly €10 million ($14 million), but 70 percent of this would depend on future performance.

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German news throughout the day from The Local

 

Police: Raiders rob international poker tournament
At least four masked and armed men robbed an international poker tournament in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, making off with an undisclosed sum of money, police said.

German monastery raided over child sex abuse claims
Authorities have raided a monastery in southern Germany as part of a probe into allegations that priests sexually abused children there, prosecutors said.

Belarus claims first Olympic victory since 2002
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) -- Alexei Kalyuzhny scored twice, and Sergei Kostitsyn had a goal and three assists as Belarus won its first Olympic hockey game since 2002, beating winless Germany 5-3 on Saturday night.

1 dead in Germany school shooting
One man was dead and another man was in custody Thursday after a shooting at a vocational school in southern Germany, police said.

Renée's Quick Cosmetics Run in Berlin
• How does Renée Zellweger get red carpet ready? In Germany for the Berlin International Film Festival, the actress stocked up on beauty products during a quickie trip to the KaDeWe department store. Among her purchases: some inexpensive Schwarzkopf shampoo, John Frieda hairspray, Palmolive shaving cream and disposable razors. The actress swooped in with her chauffeur and a cup of Starbucks coffee, then finished her shopping trip in 11 minutes, onlookers say. Later that night, the actress stepped out - barelegged - to join the festival's jury for dinner at Münzsalon, a private club in the city's Mitte neighborhood.

U.S. military copter crash in Germany kills 3 crew members
A U.S. military Black Hawk helicopter crashed in Germany on Wednesday, killing three crew members, U.S. Army public affairs specialist Bruce Anderson said.

Slowing down in Germany's Mosel Valley
During a frantically busy trip to Europe, I hopped on a train and slipped off into Germany's dreamy Mosel Valley, figuring that a dose of quaint, cobbled towns and storybook castles was just what I needed. The Mosel, located near Germany's western border, is the Rhine's peaceful little sister.

90-year-old man charged over Nazi massacre
A 90-year-old man from northern Germany has been charged with 58 counts of murder for the killings of Jewish forced laborers in the final days of World War Two.

U.S. alert over German al Qaeda threat
U.S. officials extended a travel alert in Germany and urged Americans to remain wary after terrorist organization al Qaeda posted messages in recent months threatening attacks in the country.

Team California shine in Solar Decathlon
The smile never came off of my face as we heard who placed third, second, and first in the 2009 Solar Decathlon.

Germany nabs second Solar Decathlon win
A university team from Germany has won the U.S. Energy Department's Solar Decathlon for the second competition in a row, officials declared Friday. In second place was Team Illinois, and third place went to Team California.

Going for gold in the Solar Decathlon
For two weeks the National Mall in Washington D.C. has been transformed into a boulevard of homes of the future.

German police arrest man on terror charges
Investigators in Germany have arrested a 24-year-old man on terror-related charges.

Germans arrest terror video suspect
A 25-year-old Turkish man was arrested Friday in Stuttgart, Germany, after he allegedly uploaded a video containing threats against the country onto a "known Internet platform," police said.

U.S. urges caution after German terror threat
U.S. officials urged American citizens in Germany to keep a low profile and remain wary of their surroundings after the terrorist organization al Qaeda posted a video message threatening attacks in the country.

5 dead as bus hurtles into ravine in Germany
Five people were killed and seven were injured Tuesday when a local transit bus crashed into a ravine in western Germany, police said.

Germany boosts terrorism alert level
The German government raised its terrorism alert level after al Qaeda posted a video on the Internet threatening attacks in Germany if this month's elections do not come out the way the terrorist organization wants.

9 children hurt in Germany school attack
A teenage student wielding an ax, two knives, and three Molotov cocktails attacked several children at his school in southern Germany Thursday, wounding nine before he was arrested, police said.

Plane makes emergency landing in Germany
A plane carrying a senior political leader and others made an emergency landing at the airport in Stuttgart, Germany on Monday, an airline spokeswoman said.

Germany's 'TV duel' turns friendly as election looms
There's a saying that the German peace movement has been using since the days of the Cold War that translates into something like this: "Imagine there's a war and no one shows up."

Beds made of hay are latest hotel craze
Holiday-makers around the world are facing up to the fact that, in times of recession, large travel expenses are difficult to justify.

Blind women help detect breast cancer
Blind women are being trained to use their sensitive touch to help detect breast cancer earlier and more precisely than doctors.

Keeping your senior staffers
With layoffs rampant, holding on to workers ought to be the least of a company's worries -- unless those employees are scientists and engineers. According to the National Science Foundation, nearly 40% of these skilled workers in the U.S. are more than 50 years old, and the pipeline of talent to replace them is shrinking. IHS Cambridge Energy Research Associates predicts a 7% to 11% shortage of experienced engineers in 2011. America is not alone; industrial powerhouses Germany and Japan face similar demographic challenges.

Seniors held over kidnap of investment adviser
Five senior citizens are behind bars in Germany after they allegedly kidnapped and beat a man because he owed them money, police in southern Germany said Wednesday.

Germany summons Iran ambassador over elections
Germany is summoning the Iranian ambassador Monday to explain the disputed presidential election in the Middle Eastern nation, particularly the "brutal handling" of protesters, the German foreign minister said.

At least 16 Dead in a Shooting Spree in German School
The gunman, who was also killed, is thought to be a 17-year-old former student

Major deadly attacks at schools
A shooting rampage by a 17-year-old former student that has left at least 10 dead at a school in Winnenden, Germany is the latest in a series of attacks in education institutions. Here some of the major incidents.

A wunderbar welcome in Austria and Germany
Many sights in Germany and Austria have been renovated in the last year or two to better display this region's rich heritage, making 2009 a good time to visit.

Castles, courtly love in Germany's Rhine Valley
Climbing up the spiral stairs and through a stone tower to our room, we notice a passageway. "Where do you suppose it goes?" asks my wife, Sandra, as she signals me to follow her.

Green roofs cool cities, combat climate change, say Germans
If your neighbor mentions their green roof you might think they have a moss problem. Maybe they are simply referring to the color. But you're unlikely to think that they have just had a mini ecosystem installed.

Grant Wahl: Soccer's Moment of the Year
Spain's 1-0 win over Germany in the Euro 2008 final in June gave the Spaniards their first European championship since 1964 (and second major trophy in their country's history).

First Mosque Opens in Former East Germany
The first mosque with a minaret and a dome in Germany's formerly communist east opened on Thursday as police corralled protesters behind a roadblock three blocks away

Germany's Car Industry Crashes
The world's biggest exporter falters as the global financial crisis begins to bite

Europe Scrambles as the Credit Crisis Goes Global
For all the rhetoric about a common front, Germany leads a new run of unilateral action to save institutions and reassure depositors

Raising a Glass to East Germany
A new pub aims to celebrate, with tongue in cheek, the old communist regime. Not everyone appreciates the joke

A Shake-Up in German Politics
Analysts doubt that the new centrist party leaders can stop traditional SPD voters from drifting further to the left

Germany: Three men charged over terror plot
German federal prosecutors have charged three men in connection with a foiled terror plot, a state court spokesman said Tuesday.

The German Merger Against the Odds
After months of behind-the-scenes negotiations, and a minor rebellion among executives, Commerzbank agreed to acquire Dresdner from insurance giant Allianz

Dollar climbs as oil dips
The dollar climbed against major currencies Wednesday, reversing a 2-day losing streak as a read on Germany's economy continued to show weakness.

A Victory for German Smokers
A court strikes down a ban on smoking in small bars, making Germany Europe's unlikely champion of a bad habit

View from the top of Germany
One of my favorite places to be in Europe is atop the Zugspitze -- the highest point in Germany. Standing on this 9,700-foot peak, you can't help but marvel at the thought that you are above everyone else in the entire country -- No. 1 out of 82 million. From here, facing south, I feel like a maestro conducting a symphony of snow-capped peaks, as the mighty Alps stretch seemingly forever to the right and left.

Grant Wahl: Breaking down the Euro final between Germany and Spain
Let's count the reasons why Germany has no business beating Spain for the Euro 2008 championship on Sunday (ABC, 2:45 p.m. ET):

Euro 2008: Germany Defeats Austria
The pre-tournament favorites put an end to the co-hosts' hopes in a fixture that is always about more than just football

Gabriele Marcotti: UEFA has tilted the Euros off-center yet again
BERN, Switzerland -- OK, I could have made this point before the tournament, but it's worth making again, because something isn't quite right here. Arrigo Sacchi, who led AC Milan to two European Cups said he'd love to see "Marco and Roberto meet in the final."

Gabriele Marcotti: Five-minute guide to Euro 2008
SI.com's Gabriele Marcotti is in Switzerland and Austria for the 2008 European Championship. Here's his primer for the tournament.

Germany's Corporate Spying Scandal
Germany's latest corporate scandal seems like the stuff of a Cold War espionage novel. But as merely the latest in a series of corporate shenanigans, it may actually reflect the newly sordid style of business at Germany Inc.

Multimedia Guide Tracks Berlin Wall
History buffs seeking the last vestiges of the iconic wall no longer have to consult old maps or guidebooks. A new multimedia guide offers individualized walking tours connecting the key points where the 103-mile barrier once separated west from east

Germany strike hits scores of flights
Airlines Wednesday morning canceled more than 200 flights operating out of Frankfurt and Munich, Germany's two largest airports, because of a public workers' strike, airport spokesmen said.

Treasure hunters dig for Hitler's gold
Digging has resumed at a site in the southeastern German town of Deutschneudorf, where treasure hunters believe there are almost 2 tons of Nazi gold and possibly clues to the whereabouts of the legendary Amber Room, a prize taken from a Russian castle during World War II.

Tax Probe Jolts Germany
An investigation of alleged German tax evaders has fueled angst not only among wealthy Germans, but also among politicians facing an angry public

Germany suspects arson in attack on Turks
German police said Friday they suspect arson caused an overnight fire at a house inhabited by three Turkish families in southern Germany.

Police sift ruins of deadly German fire
Investigators in southwest Germany are continuing to search the ruins of a building where nine people, including five children, were killed in a weekend fire.

Arson considered in German immigrant fire
Police have refused to rule out arson as the cause of a blaze that killed at least nine people - including five children -- at a southwest Germany apartment building Sunday.

Germany's Polar Bear Cub Quandary
Should zookeepers intervene when a mom wants to eat her offspring? That's the question being debated by Germany's polar bear lovers

Germany's Battle Against Scientology
A new state-level probe is aimed at banning the organization. But legally and politically, that remains a difficult task

Germany's Coalition Takes A Hit
The resignation of the Vice Chancellor won't improve relations between Germany's two biggest parties

No More Fun on the Autobahn?
Germany is in an uproar as the Social Democrats suggest putting a limit on how fast cars can go on the limitless autobahn

Can a High-Fat Diet Beat Cancer?
German researchers are testing a controversial theory, using a low-carb, high-fat diet to help the sickest of cancer patients

Dirk rescues Germany at Euro championships
MADRID, Spain (AP) -- Dirk Nowitzki hit a clutch basket with 12 seconds to play as Germany rallied for a 69-65 win over Slovenia at the European basketball championships that gave the Germans a chance to qualify for next summer's Olympic Games.

Europe: Dirk, Germany advance to quarterfinals
MADRID, Spain (AP) -- Dirk Nowitzki had 15 points and 10 rebounds Wednesday to lead Germany over Italy 67-58 and into the quarterfinals of the European Basketball Championship.

9/11 bomb threat at U.S. air base
A U.S. Air Force base in Germany received a bomb threat hours before the sixth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, military officials said.

Militants threaten to kill hostage
Iraqi militants holding a German man hostage demanded Germany's withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan within 10 days to ensure his safety.

Terror suspects 'were tipped off'
The three terror suspects arrested last week in Germany may have sped up their bombing plot after a loud-talking police officer inadvertently alerted them that they were on a federal watch list, an unnamed source with knowledge of the investigation told CNN.

Euro: Parker, France knock off Germany
Tony Parker scored 23 points and France defeated Germany 78-66 Saturday, moving closer to a berth in the quarterfinals of the European basketball championship.

U.S. tip-off unraveled terror plot
Initial intelligence regarding an Islamic Jihad cell -- which led to the unraveling of a terror plot aimed at American military installations and other Western targets in Germany -- came from U.S. intelligence officials, German authorities said Friday.

German terror police have suspects list
German authorities are tracking a list of people believed to have a connection to a foiled terror plot against American military installations and other Western targets in Germany, according to prosecutor and Interior Ministry officials.

German Terror Suspects Fit Patterns
The arrests this week in Germany confirm a trend investigators have been noting: lone wolves are replacing large networks

Germany: 'Massive' attacks foiled
German police arrested three suspected Islamic militants who were planning "massive" and "imminent" attacks on American targets in Germany, authorities said Wednesday.

German Plot Signals al-Qaeda Revival
Two plots foiled in a single day suggests that extremist terror networks are growing more active in Europe

Dirk rescues Germany in Euro opener
MADRID, Spain (AP) -- Dirk Nowitzki scored 35 points and pulled in 11 rebounds as Germany needed overtime to beat the Czech Republic 83-78 Monday on the opening day of the European basketball championships.

Italian police arrest 32 over 'Mafia' shootings
Hundreds of police raided a small town in southern Italy on Thursday and arrested 32 suspected members of organized crime clans believed to be involved in a feud that killed six Italians in Germany earlier this month.

Viewing brain cells -- without a scalpel
Physicist Hans-Ulrich Dodt, a visiting professor at the Max Planck Institute in Germany, has figured out how to see nerve cells deep in mice brains as clearly as little neon motel signs.

Businesses take dim view in Germany
German business sentiment fell a shade less than expected in August as firms took a dimmer view about the coming six months following recent market turmoil, a closely watched survey showed on Tuesday.

Subprime hits another German bank
The owners of stricken state lender SachsenLB aim to sell the German bank quickly after its near collapse under heavy losses from U.S. subprime mortgages and other risky debt, sources familiar with the matter said.

Cloudy Germany unlikely hotspot for solar power
It rains year round in Germany. Clouds cover the skies for about two-thirds of all daylight hours. Yet the country has managed to become the world's leading solar power generator.

Burial for suspected Mafia victims
Relatives wailed and others threw red roses during the funeral Thursday for two brothers, killed in a suspected Mafia in Germany slaying that left four other Italians dead.

Minister: Nazi ideas haunt Germany
Support for Nazi ideas in Germany is making people fear for their lives, a government minister said Tuesday.

Eastern Germany's sunny future
The former East Germany, once one of the world's gloomiest places, has become home to one of the world's brightest industries: solar power.

U.S. officials in Germany get terror warning
An alleged plot by a group of Islamic extremists against U.S. facilities in Germany led officials to increase security last month, a senior federal official told CNN on Friday.

Protests fail to stop Berlin mosque
An Islamic group laid the foundation stone for east Berlin's first mosque on Tuesday to protests reflecting Germany's difficulty in integrating its 3.2 million Muslims.

Transrapid: The levitating train
Following are some facts about the Transrapid high-tech train that crashed on a test run in Germany on Friday:

Al Qaeda suspect held in Germany
Germany's federal prosecutor's office announced Saturday it has arrested a German of Moroccan descent on charges that he recruited suicide bombers for Iraq and financially supported the al Qaeda terrorist network.

Excerpts from the writing of John Kenneth Galbraith
John Kenneth Galbraith died in April at the age of 97. Always the enemy of inequality, he left a lasting legacy of economic thought and social commentary.

France reports 11 new H5N1 cases
France reported 11 new cases of H5N1 bird flu in wild birds on Thursday in an area already hit by the lethal virus.

Dead German cat had bird flu
A cat in Germany has been infected with bird flu, health authorities said Tuesday.

Bird flu reports spread in Europe
Three new countries on Tuesday reported they had detected the deadly strain of bird flu as public health officials battled the H5N1 strain of avian influenza on various fronts across the globe.

Germany pressures Russia, Ukraine on gas
German officials Monday pressured Russia and Ukraine to agree on a new natural gas contract, but also said Germany has 2-1/2 months during which it can find other means to fill any gap caused by the dispute.

Sylt: Northern Germany's hidden haven
Often referred to as the "St. Tropez of Germany," and best known as a getaway for affluent northern Germans, Sylt is a rare gem most of Europe's holiday makers never discover.

Germany charges 3 for Iraq PM plot
Three suspects have been charged in Germany over an alleged December 2004 plot to kill then-Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi during a visit to the country.

World War II
Use this explainer to help students understand the history of World War II, a topic relevant to current news.

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Germany says terror arrest illegal
Germany's high court has ordered the release of a Syrian-born German man whom Spain wanted extradited in connection with the 2003 Madrid bombings.

Football fans dazzled by new arena
Brazil may have won this week's Confederations Cup final, but the tournament has been an architectural triumph for hosts Germany.

Germany backs EU charter
Germany has become the ninth country to ratify the EU constitution when the upper house of parliament voted in favor of the treaty.

Man releases German schoolgirls
Four schoolgirls taken hostage in northern Germany by a knife-wielding man and held in a cellar for more than five hours have been released, police say.

Probe into 'abuse victims' claims
British defense officials are investigating accounts given by five men who claim to be the victims of an abuse scandal at a British base in Iraq.

Germany: Never say never on Iraq
Germany's defense minister said Wednesday his country cannot rule out getting involved in Iraq in the long run, though it could take years for that to happen.

Troop plan to hit Germany hardest
U.S. President George W. Bush's troop redeployment may have its biggest effect on Germany, once a potential Cold War battlefield.

Critics attack U.S. troop move
Germany's defense minister has expressed regret about U.S. plans to restructure its forces abroad -- changes expected to hit Germany the hardest with the pullout of two heavy divisions. Japan and Australia said they embraced the changes.

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Germany: News & Videos about Germany - CNN.com
Find stories, videos, and photos about Germany from CNN.com.