Germany’s armed forces, the Bundeswehr, need up to 35,000 more soldiers to meet NATO’s new defence requirements, according to the head of the parliamentary defence committee. Joining calls for a stronger army to face a growing threat from Russia, Marcus Faber, the chairman of the defence committee of the Bundestag, on Saturday backed plans to…
Germany’s GDP (gross domestic product) is expected to decline by 0.2% in 2024, according to a revised government forecast on Wednesday, meaning Europe’s biggest economy is on course for recession. The adjusted figures presented by Economy Minister Robert Habeck were down from previous estimates of 0.3% growth. The revised forecast does not come as a…
Police intervened at pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Berlin’s central Alexanderplatz due to anti-Israel chants and actions, resulting in 10 temporary arrests on Friday evening, according to police reports. One incident involved a man tearing paper Israeli flags during a “Vigil for Gaza” rally. At another gathering titled “Stop the War,” which saw a peak attendance of…
The western German city of Frankfurt has banned a pro-Palestine demonstration registered for the anniversary of the October 7 attack on Israel by the terrorist organisation Hamas, it said on Thursday. “One year ago on this day, the biggest mass murder of Jews since the Shoah took place. Registering this rally on 7th October, of…
On the 21st September, in Berlin, a 10-year-old pro-Palestine demonstrator was pursued and arrested by German police, as captured in a widely shared video. Germany’s legal guarantees of free speech and assembly notwithstanding, the nation’s stance in favour of Israel seems to supersede any demonstrations or assemblies in favour of Palestine. Numerous protesters in favour…
An increasing number of people are suffering from symptoms of Long Covid even after the end of the coronavirus pandemic, German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said on Tuesday. Lauterbach warned that people are still falling ill with the disease – even as public attention on Covid-19 fades into the background. He made his remarks during…
