Music is a major part of Rayhan Butt’s life. The 18-year-old from the west German city of Bielefeld discovered his passion for the piano a few years ago, and now plays daily, sometimes for 12 hours a day. Picking up singing along the way, he performs regularly across the country. Butt has now found a … Read moreWill Germany bring back mandatory military conscription next year?
France and Germany have announced that they are to scrap a landmark project to jointly develop a sixth-generation fighter jet. The office of French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed on Monday that the project was being terminated. The development is a major blow to efforts to boost defence cooperation between European Union states, which has become … Read moreFrance and Germany scrap fighter jet in hit to European defence cooperation
President Donald Trump has renewed his attacks on German Chancellor Friedrich Merz as the rift between the United States and one of its closest European allies widens over Berlin’s criticism of the war on Iran. The US president suggested on Thursday that Merz should focus on German and European affairs rather than comment on the … Read moreTrump slams Germany’s Merz again as rift over Iran war widens
At the beginning of the year, German men aged 18 began to receive a compulsory questionnaire registering their fitness for army service under a law passed last month. Joining the army is voluntary for now, but the law allows the government to introduce mandatory service to meet its goal of building what it says will … Read moreWhy is Germany trying to build ‘Europe’s strongest conventional army’?
Robbers broke into a vault at a savings bank in western Germany during the Christmas holidays, stealing cash, gold and jewellery estimated to be worth up to $105m, the police and the bank said. According to police on Tuesday, the perpetrators used a large drill to bore through a thick concrete wall of a branch … Read moreGermany hunts Christmas thieves after Ocean’s Eleven-style bank heist
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is visiting Israel for the first time since taking office in May. His visit comes just days after Germany decided to lift a three-month suspension on arms exports to Israel that it said could be used in the Gaza Strip. Merz, who has said he does not consider Israel’s actions in … Read moreWhat has Germany’s position been on Israel’s genocide in Gaza?
The United Kingdom, France and Germany have said they wish to restart stalled nuclear talks with Iran and the United States, more than a month after the three European countries triggered a mechanism reinstating the United Nations sanctions on Iran for the first time in a decade. The E3 countries’ joint statement on Friday came … Read moreUK, France, Germany say they hope to restart Iran nuclear talks
France, Germany and the United Kingdom have told the United Nations they are prepared to reinstate sanctions on Iran, according to a joint letter. The letter, sent to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the UN Security Council, said the three European powers were “committed to use all diplomatic tools at our disposal to ensure Iran … Read moreFrance, Germany and UK say they are ready to reimpose Iran sanctions
Germany’s likely next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has announced a deal to drastically overhaul the country’s debt rules to allow a boom in defence and security spending as well as 500 billion euros ($545bn) in infrastructure investment in the next 12 years. Merz’s conservatives and their prospective Social Democratic coalition partners reached an agreement with the … Read moreGermany parties agree plan for spending boost, debt brake overhaul
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has lost a confidence vote in parliament, triggering snap elections seven months ahead of schedule. The vote on Monday came after Scholz’s fragile coalition collapsed, sparking a political crisis in the European Union’s largest economy. Scholz won the support of 207 lawmakers in the 733-seat lower house, or Bundestag, while 394 … Read moreGermany set for new elections after Chancellor Scholz loses confidence vote