Germany News

January 14, 2019

Regional lawmaker is Germany’s first transgender MP

Transgender woman Tessa Ganserer will make history in Germany when she takes up her seat in the Bavarian regional parliament next week, three months after winning reelection as Markus Ganserer. Giving her maiden press conference as a woman, the nation’s…

January 14, 2019

Egypt deports second German alleged ‘jihadist’: Berlin

Egypt has deported the second of two young German men who were arrested last month as suspected jihadist militants, the foreign ministry in Berlin said Monday. Eighteen-year-old Issa Ibrahim ElSabagh landed at Frankfurt airport, reported Spiegel Online, following last week’s…

January 14, 2019

Germany says Siemens-Alstom tie-up concessions not enough: reports

Germany’s market watchdog says concessions offered by Siemens and France’s Alstom to secure a merger of their rail businesses are not enough to allay competition concerns, according to press reports Monday. A letter from the Bundeskartellamt regulator to the European…

January 13, 2019

US pressures Germany over Russian gas pipeline

A transatlantic tiff over Europe’s natural gas supply came to the boil Sunday, as Donald Trump’s ambassador to Germany threatened firms involved in a pipeline from Russia with sanctions. At stake is a mixture of economic and security interests for…

January 13, 2019

German far right dallies with ‘Dexit’ from EU

As the British parliament prepares for a crucial Brexit vote Tuesday, Germany’s far right voted Sunday to break a national taboo by campaigning to quit the European Union if its demand for reforms within the bloc are not met. A…

January 13, 2019

US threatens sanctions over Russia-Germany gas pipeline

The US ambassador to Germany has warned of sanctions against firms linked to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia, the American embassy in Berlin confirmed Sunday. A letter envoy Richard Grenell sent to several businesses “reminds that any…

January 13, 2019

Gloomy German left remembers murdered Rosa Luxemburg

Germany’s sharply divided left-wing parties, deep in a period of historic weakness, on Sunday commemorated the larger-than-life revolutionary Rosa Luxemburg on the 100th anniversary of her murder. Organisers said thousands turned out in memory of “Red Rosa” and prominent fellow…

January 13, 2019

Far-right AfD to campaign on German EU exit

German far-right party AfD voted Sunday to campaign for Berlin’s exit from the EU in the upcoming European Parliament elections if its demand for reforms within the bloc are not met. The decision marks the first time any party has…

January 13, 2019

Australia police call off outback search for German tourist

An extensive aerial search for a German tourist missing in the vast Australian outback for almost two weeks has been called off, police said. Monika Billen, 62, was reported missing last week after leaving her resort in Alice Springs, a…