Page 28 - Germany

British, German fighter jets intercept Russian plane near Estonia airspace

British and German air force fighter jets were scrambled to intercept a Russian aircraft flying close to Estonian airspace, the U.K. defence ministry said Wednesday, amid mounting concerns about confrontation in the skies near Russia and Ukraine. The U.K. and Germany are conducting joint air policing missions in Estonia as part of NATO efforts to bolster its eastern flank in response to Russia. Britain's defence ministry said the Typhoon jets responded Tuesday after a Russian air-to-air refuelling aircraft failed to communicate with Estonian air traffic control. The Russian plane didn't enter the airspace of Estonia, a NATO member. UK and German planes are patrolling together as part of the NATO Baltic Air Policing mission until the end of April. Wing Commander Scott Maccoll, Commander of the RAF's 140 Expeditionary Air Wing, said it was great to see the UK and German elements operate as one team. U.K. armed forces minister James Heappey said this joint UK and German deployment i

SVB's German branch ordered to halt transactions amid crisis, says BaFin

The German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) has ordered the US-based Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) to halt the operations of its Germany branch

Church shooting in Germany's Hamburg leaves several dead, wounded

Shots were fired inside a building used by Jehovah's Witnesses in the northern German city of Hamburg on Thursday evening, and several people were killed or wounded, police said. The shooting took place in the Gross Borstel district, a few kilometers north of the downtown area of Germany's second-biggest city. "We only know that several people died here; several people are wounded, they were taken to hospitals," police spokesman Holger Vehren said. He said he had no information on the severity of the injuries suffered by the wounded. The scene of the shooting was the Jehovah's Witnesses' Kingdom Hall, a modern and boxy three-story building next door to an auto repair shop. Vehren said police were alerted to the shooting about 9.15 pm local time and were on the scene quickly. He said that after officers arrived and found people with apparent gunshot wounds on the ground floor, they heard a shot from an upper floor and found a fatally wounded person upstairs who may have been a sho

Germany ramps up funding for UN women in 2023 for gender equality

Germany has pledged 26 million euros ($27.6 million) to UN Women in 2023, the country's Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) said

Germany's Olaf Scholz warns of 'consequences' if China sends arms to Russia

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says there would be "consequences" if China sent weapons to Russia for Moscow's war in Ukraine, but he is fairly optimistic that Beijing will refrain from doing so. Scholz's comments came in an interview with CNN that aired on Sunday, two days after he met US President Joe Biden in Washington. US officials have warned recently that China could step off the sidelines and begin providing arms and ammunition to Moscow. Ahead of his trip, Scholz had urged Beijing to refrain from sending weapons and instead use its influence to press Russia to withdraw its troops from Ukraine. Asked by CNN if he could imagine sanctioning China if it did aid Russia, Scholz replied: "I think it would have consequences, but we are now in a stage where we are making clear that this should not happen, and I am relatively optimistic that we will be successful with our request in this case, but we will have to look at (it) and we have to be very, very cautious." He did not elabora

Germany's flag carrier Lufthansa registers profits after Covid slump

After two consecutive years of losses, Germany's flag carrier Lufthansa said that it had once again made a profit in 2022, as international air traffic recovered from the Covid-19 pandemic.

US, Germany in 'lockstep' on Russia Ukraine war: Joe Biden and Olaf Scholz

US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz met privately in the Oval Office for more than an hour on Friday after declaring themselves in "lockstep" on maintaining pressure on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. Even their top advisers were left out of the conversation. When the meeting ended, Biden and Scholz walked across the hall to the Roosevelt Room, where the American and German officials had been mingling. Biden joked that the two leaders had solved all the world's problems by themselves, according to a senior administration official, who requested anonymity to describe the closed-door discussions. If any agreements were reached or plans made, the White House was not saying. The official readout of the meeting provided little additional detail, except to say the two leaders discussed the war and "exchanged perspectives on other global issues". The conversation came at a delicate moment in the conflict. Ukraine and Russia are preparing for spring offensives, ...

EU postpones vote on combustion engine ban amid opposition from Germany

The adoption by European Union member countries of new carbon dioxide emission standards for cars and vans has been postponed amid opposition from Germany and conservative lawmakers, the Swedish presidency of the EU ministers' council said Friday. The vote initially scheduled for next week will take place at a later council meeting on a date yet to be announced, according to the Swedish presidency of the Council of the European Union. Germany's transportation minister said last week that his country would not back a proposed EU ban on the sale of new cars with combustion engines from 2035. He wanted assurances from the bloc's executive arm that there would be an exemption for synthetic fuels. The conservative European People's Party group, which is the largest bloc in the European Parliament, is also opposing the ban and called on member countries to do the same. The ban prevents innovation and doesn't reduce additional CO2 emissions, the group said Friday. "The EPP Group is convin

German Chancellor interacts with India's best business minds in Bengaluru

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has interacted with "inspiring talents" of SAP India, German ambassador to India Philipp Ackermann stated in a tweet. Scholz witnessed "India's modern face" at Bengaluru and met with young Indians on their way to Germany.Philipp Ackermann tweeted, "Bangalore showed India's modern face to @Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz & us! We changed batteries for scooters @Sun_Mobility & met inspiring talents @SAPIndia. Chancellor also talked to young Indians on their way to Germany & visited Royal Challengers - end of a successful visit!"Olaf Scholz was on an official visit to India from February 25-26. He was accompanied by senior officials and a high-powered business delegation.Meanwhile, IPL Cricket team Royal Challengers Banglore on Sunday tweeted, "We had the extreme honour and privilege of hosting the Hon'ble Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany at Namma Chinnaswamy Stadium. His Excellency called on RCB's WPL camp today."On Saturday, the German ...

How is Germany trying to ease immigration process for Indian techies?

Among other things, Germany may also soon allow employers to hire foreigners for short periods regardless of the special qualification requirements

Germany plans for easy visa application for IT workers from India

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Sunday that his government wants to make it easier for information technology experts from India to obtain work visas in Germany as the country struggles with a shortage of skilled labour. Scholz said improving the legal framework so Germany becomes more attractive for software developers and those with IT development skills is a priority for his government this year. "We want to make the issuing of visas easier," he told reporters during a visit to India's high-tech hub of Bengaluru. "Aside from the legal modernisation we want to modernise the entire bureaucratic process as well, Scholz said. Asked about workers who don't speak the language when they come to Germany, he said it should not be seen as a hurdle if people arrive in the country speaking English first and then acquire German later on. Scholz was speaking on the second day of his trip to India, after meeting Saturday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the fallout from the

PM, German Chancellor interact with CEOs on ways to boost economic ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz interacted with top executives from Indian and German companies on Saturday to discuss ways to deepen economic ties. The focus areas for mutual cooperation include digital transformation, financial technology, IT and telecom. "Chancellor @OlafScholz and I met top CEOs to discuss ways to strengthen economic relations between our nations. Sectors like digital transformation, FinTech, IT and Telecom featured prominently in the meeting," Prime Minister Modi tweeted. Scholz arrived in Delhi on Saturday on a two-day visit to India, his first to the country after he became the German chancellor in December 2021, following Angela Merkel's historic 16-year tenure at the top post. Modi and the German Chancellor held wide-ranging talks with a focus on boosting the bilateral ties in the areas of clean energy, trade and new technologies.

Olaf Scholz heads to India to deepen ties on green energy, defence

Scholz also plans to discuss Russia's war on Ukraine with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a time when Europe and its allies are struggling to maintain economic pressure on the Kremlin

Germany to pursue $5.2-billion deal with India to build 6 submarines

The Indian Navy also has two indigenous nuclear-powered submarines.

German economy shrank more than expected by 0.4% in fourth quarter of 2022

The German economy shrank by 0.4 per cent in last year's fourth quarter, the national statistics office said Friday, a sharp downward revision from its initial report that gross domestic product declined by 0.2 per cent. The quarter-on-quarter contraction in the October-December period was the first since the first quarter of 2021. Consumer spending, which propped up growth in the first nine months of last year, dropped by 1 per cent in the final three months of 2022. Investment in construction and machinery showed bigger drops in the final quarter, the Federal Statistical Office said. The full-year 2022 growth figure for Germany Europe's biggest economy remained at the 1.8 per cent that the office reported at the end of January. The economy has generally held up well, despite pressure from high inflation and fears last year of an energy crunch as Russia reduced and then cut off its gas supplies to Germany. That didn't materialise. On Wednesday, a closely watched survey showed

Russia-Ukraine conflict to be on agenda of German Chancellor talks in India

The Russia-Ukraine conflict and China's increasing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific will be "very high" on the agenda of the talks between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Prime Minister Narendra Modi this weekend, German Ambassador Philipp Ackermann said on Wednesday. The envoy said Germany has also reached out to India seeking its support to a resolution by the UN General Assembly on the Ukraine conflict calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities and lasting peace in Ukraine. German Chancellor Scholz will begin his two-day visit to India on Saturday with an aim to expand cooperation in areas of trade, climate change, clean energy and migration of skilled manpower besides exchanging views on pressing global challenges. "We see Russia and Ukraine (conflict) very high on the agenda in the meeting between German Chancellor Scholz and Prime Minister Modi. It will be a very important part of the agenda," Ackermann said at a media briefing. The German Chancellor is visiting Ind

German Chancellor Scholz to pay state visit to India on February 25-26

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will pay a State visit to India on February 25 and 26, his first trip to the country more than a year after he took charge of the top post. Announcing the German chancellor's visit, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Monday that Scholz will be accompanied by senior officials and a high-powered business delegation. He is scheduled to arrive in Delhi on February 25 and will proceed to Bengaluru on February 26, the MEA said. It added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chancellor Scholz will hold discussions on bilateral, regional and global issues. "Chancellor Scholz's visit will enable both sides to take stock and progress on the key outcomes of the 6th IGC, strengthen security and defence cooperation, work towards closer economic ties, enhance opportunity for mobility of talent and give strategic guidance to ongoing collaboration in science and technology," the MEA said. Modi and Scholz will also interact with CEOs and business leaders f

Thousands of flights to and from German airports cancelled as staff strikes

Thousands of flights to and from German airports were cancelled Friday as workers walked out to press their demands for inflation-busting pay increases. The strikes at seven German airports, including Frankfurt, Munich and Hamburg, affected almost 300,000 passengers and forced airlines to cancel more than 2,300 flights. Christine Behle of the Verdi labour union told public broadcaster RBB-Inforadio that failure to reach a meaningful deal with employers on pay could result in a summer of chaos at German airports. The union is seeking a 10.5 per cent increase for its members, or at least 500 euros, to make up for high inflation seen in Germany and elsewhere last year due to the knock-on effects Russia's attack on Ukraine has had on global food and energy prices. Verdi chairman Frank Werneke told weekly Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung that the willingness among its members to stage strikes was big and future walkouts could reach another dimension. He noted that recent strikes

Major disruptions in computer systems cause delay in Lufthansa flights

A major disruption to the computer systems of German airline Lufthansa caused delays and cancellations at its main hub in Frankfurt and beyond on Wednesday. The airline said in a statement that Lufthansa Group, which also includes subsidiaries such as Swiss International Air Lines and Eurowings, are affected by an IT outage. This is causing flight delays and cancellations, the company said. We regret the inconvenience this is causing our passengers. German news agency dpa reported that all of Lufthansa's domestic flights were cancelled and passengers were urged to switch to alternative forms of travel, such as trains. Frankfurt Airport confirmed that technical problems at Lufthansa were causing flight disruptions and cancellations. Please check the status of your flight before travelling to the airport and allow extra time for your journey, the airport said. We also recommend that you check in as early as possible for your flight.

India's G20 presidency key to resolve climate finance issues: German envoy

India's G20 presidency is crucial for resolving climate finance issues and scaling up global mitigation efforts, Germany's climate envoy Jennifer Morgan said here on Wednesday. She also stressed the need to accelerate energy transition and "phase out all fossil fuels". "I think this G20 presidency is key for COP (Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) and laying the groundwork for the COP...on finance issues but also on how we work together to scale up our efforts on mitigation," Morgan said during a talk on the subject "From Sharm-el-Sheikh to Dubai". "We know that we are not on track to keep within the 1.5 degree limit and we are actually on (the path to) 2.6 (degrees Celsius), 2.8 (degrees Celsius). And, if you look at what happened here last summer, heatwaves... Cannot imagine what it was like here," the Special Envoy for International Climate Action in the German Foreign Ministry said. Keeping global temperature rise below the 1.5 .