Germany

The Great Epinal Escape: Bowman's book is a long-overdue tale worth telling

With its rare photographs, The Great Epinal Escape is an important record of the lives of the Indian Army in combat and captivity in major theatres of war in the west

German govt bans largest 'Reich citizen' group, arrests 4 leaders

The German government has banned the largest Reich citizen group, an extremist far-right organisation that calls itself the Kingdom of Germany and seeks to undermine the country's democratic order. Four of its leaders were arrested. Since early Tuesday morning, hundreds of security forces in several states have been searching the association's properties and the homes of leading members. The members of this association have created a counter-state in our country and built up economic criminal structures, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said, adding that the members of the group underpinned their supposed claim to power with antisemitic conspiracy narratives a behaviour that the country cannot tolerate. We will take decisive action against those who attack our free democratic basic order, Dobrindt added. The so-called Reich citizen", or Reichsburger" movement does not recognise Germany as a state. Many of them claim that the historical German Reich still exists and ignore the

Friedrich Merz elected German chancellor hours after historic defeat

Friedrich Merz succeeded Tuesday in his bid to become the next German chancellor during a second vote in parliament, hours after he suffered a historic defeat in the first round. The conservative leader had been expected to smoothly win the vote to become Germany's 10th chancellor since World War II. No candidate for chancellor in postwar Germany has failed to win on the first ballot. Merz received 325 votes in the second ballot. He needed a majority of 316 out of 630 votes in a secret ballot but only received 310 votes in the first round well short of the 328 seats held by his coalition.

German MPs to vote again for Chancellor after Merz loses first ballot

German lawmakers are set to vote on the next chancellor again on Tuesday afternoon, hours after Friedrich Merz failed to win the first round in parliament in a historic defeat. Merz, the conservative leader, had been expected to smoothly win the vote to become Germany's 10th chancellor since World War II. A candidate for chancellor has never failed to win on the first ballot in post-war Germany. Merz needed a majority of 316 out of 630 votes in a secret ballot but only received 310 votes well short of the 328 seats held by his coalition. The lower house of parliament has 14 days to elect a candidate with an absolute majority. Merz can run again, but other lawmakers can also throw their hat in the ring.

German lawmakers vote on Merz's bid to be chancellor, here's what to know

German lawmakers are set to vote Tuesday on whether conservative leader Friedrich Merz will become the country's 10th chancellor since World War II. Merz seeks to take the helm of the 27-nation European Union's most populous member after outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government collapsed last year. The country has the continent's biggest economy and serves as a diplomatic heavyweight. Merz's portfolio would include the war in Ukraine and the Trump administration's trade policy on top of domestic issues such as the stagnant economy and the rise of a far-right, anti-immigrant party. If Merz fails to win a majority, the lower house of parliament called the Bundestag has 14 days to elect a candidate with an absolute majority. If that also fails, the constitution allows for the president to appoint the candidate who wins the most votes as chancellor, or to dissolve the Bundestag and hold a new national election. 80th anniversary of World War II Merz needs to win over at least 31

Germany declares AfD 'extremist'; Marco Rubio, JD Vance condemn move

Germany's move to label AfD as an extremist group draws sharp criticism from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who calls it "tyranny in disguise" and urges reversal

1 killed, many injured as vehicle rams pedestrians in Germany's Stuttgart

A vehicle slammed into a group of pedestrians in the southwestern German city of Stuttgart on Friday, killing one person and injuring several others in what police said appeared to be an accident. The driver was detained, but Stuttgart police said on X that there was currently no evidence of an attack or a deliberate act and that all the information so far indicates it was a tragic traffic accident. The incident happened at an above-ground subway stop in downtown Stuttgart, police said. Five people were slightly injured and three seriously injured in the accident. Of the seriously injured, a 46-year-old woman has since succumbed to her injuries in the hospital, police said in a Friday evening statement, hours after the accident. An investigation was under way, and the area was cordoned off as emergency responders, police and forensic specialists examined the scene. Witnesses were being interviewed, and subway service through the area was suspended. Photos from the scene showed pla

Adidas products may become costlier in the US, thanks to Trump tariffs

The German sportswear company did not make it clear by how much it is going to increase it product prices in the US

German teens detained, deported from US over 'suspicious itinerary'

Both the teenagers landed in Honolulu, Hawaii on March 18 where they were reportedly denied entry into the US, despite possessing valid Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) approvals

New German govt ends 3-year citizenship policy, retains 5-year route

Coalition government has also decided not to move ahead with proposals to strip dual nationality of their citizenship if they are involved in extremist activities

German official calls urban development key focus of ties with India

Blume recalled that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had agreed in 2022 to strive to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals

Germany wants better ties with India on defence, skilled labour: Ambassador

Germany's incoming government has outlined plans to deepen its partnership with India, particularly in the areas of defence and skilled labour migration, German Ambassador to India Philipp Ackermann has said. Ackermann highlighted that the coalition treaty agreed upon by the two parties forming the next German government explicitly references India multiple times. "The most significant point is that this government wants to enhance cooperation with India and strengthen bilateral ties," Ackermann told PTI on Friday, adding that the incoming government specifically highlights defence and skilled labour migration as key areas of focus. The new German government is yet to be officially sworn in, pending the election of a chancellor and the appointment of ministers in parliament over the coming two weeks. However, Ackermann expressed optimism about the trajectory of Indo-German relations under the new administration. "We can expect the new German government to be very active and very

India surpasses Germany as 3rd-largest wind, solar power generator: Report

India became the world's third-largest producer of electricity from wind and solar energy in 2024, overtaking Germany, to according to a new report published on Tuesday. The sixth edition of global energy think tank Ember's Global Electricity Review said wind and solar together generated 15 per cent of global electricity last year. India's share stood at 10 per cent. The report said low-carbon sources, including renewables and nuclear power, together provided 40.9 per cent of the world's electricity in 2024. This is the first time the 40 per cent mark has been crossed since the 1940s. In India, clean sources accounted for 22 per cent of the electricity generation. Hydropower contributed the most at 8 per cent, while wind and solar together accounted for 10 per cent. Globally, renewables led the growth in clean electricity, adding a record 858 terawatt hours (TWh) in 2024 -- 49 per cent more than the previous record in 2022. Solar was the largest source of new electricity for the t

Looking to intensify ties with India in coming years: German envoy

German Ambassador Philipp Ackermann said his country will have a new government soon, but there will be a "huge continuity" when it comes to the political relationship with India and Berlin will continue its focus on New Delhi. Interacting with PTI on the sidelines of an event here Wednesday night, he also said, "We are looking forward to intensifying our relationship in the years of come." The envoy also expressed optimism over the EU-India free trade agreement (FTA) being negotiated by the end of this year. Asked how Germany looks at the EU-India FTA prospects, Ackermann said, "We think it is a game-changer for our business in India and you will see more investment, no doubt". President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen accompanied by the College of Commissioners visited India late February, during which she also held a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Prime Minister and the European Commission president in February had issued directions to

What can Delhi learn from Germany's Rhine cleanup to revive the Yamuna?

Germany revived river Rhine from toxic ruin. Can Delhi do the same for the Yamuna, or will the river remain a toxic casualty of neglect and failed policies?

Germany's landmark spending package secures parliamentary approval

The controversial legislation pushed by conservative Chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz was approved Tuesday in the lower house of parliament with 512 votes out of a total of 733

Apple loses antitrust court case in Germany, faces increased scrutiny

While the court ruling is a win for the German antitrust watchdog, the crackdown by powerful EU regulators is more of a threat to Big Tech, said Assimakis Komninos, a partner at White & Case

Infineon aims to double India workforce to 5,000 by 2030, says CMO

Going ahead, the company intends to continue supporting its Indian partners and customers to leverage growth opportunities, as the country remains a high-growth market for Infineon, he said

German carmakers weigh price, production shifts to soften tariff impact

Trump earlier in March agreed to exempt automakers for a month from his punishing 25 per cent tariffs on Canada and Mexico if they complied with existing free trade rules

Germany's likely next leader seeks approval for huge defence, infra package

Germany's would-be next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, is asking lawmakers Tuesday to allow the country to put whatever it takes into defense as doubts mount about the strength of the trans-Atlantic alliance, and to authorise an enormous fund for investment in its creaking infrastructure, financed by hefty borrowing. The outgoing parliament is set to meet for a final time to vote on the plans as Merz's center-right Union bloc works to put together a governing coalition with the center-left Social Democrats of outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz after winning last month's election. Two-thirds majority needed The plans will need a two-thirds majority in parliament's lower house, the Bundestag, because they involve changes to Germany's strict self-imposed borrowing rules the so-called debt brake, which allows new borrowing worth only 0.35% of annual gross domestic product and is anchored in the constitution. That forced the prospective coalition partners into negotiations with the ...