Page 8 - Germany

German Lufthansa seals deal to get 41% of ITA Airways, full control by 2033

Germany's Lufthansa Group on Friday finalised its acquisition of Italian airline ITA Airways, closing a long period of uncertainty for Italy's former flagship carrier. Under the 325-million-euro (USD 350 million) deal, Lufthansa takes an initial 41 per cent stake in ITA, formerly Alitalia, from the Italian government, gaining full control by 2033 with a total investment of 829 million euros. The remaining 59 per cent will initially continue to be held by the Italian Treasury. This deal was originally announced in May 2023 and was approved by the European Commission following a year-long investigation and with conditions to protect competition. The commission noted that Lufthansa, ITA and its partners, for example, control most routes from Rome and Milan to North America. Under the deal, the merged company must make it possible for rival airlines to launch non-stop flights between Rome or Milan and central European airports, where competition is limited; make room for rivals on ...

Chinese buyers likely interested in unwanted German Volkswagen factories

Buying a factory would allow China to build influence in Germany's prized auto industry, home to some of the oldest and most prestigious car brands

Germany's economy shrinks for second consecutive year in 2024 amid election

The German economy, Europe's biggest, shrank for the second consecutive year in 2024, according to preliminary official figures released Wednesday weeks before an election in which the economy is the top issue. The Federal Statistical Office said that gross domestic product contracted by 0.2 per cent last year following a decline in 2023. The German economy has been battered by external shocks and homegrown problems, including red tape and a shortage of skilled labour, and politicians have been at odds over how to fix it. Chancellor Olaf Scholz's three-party coalition government collapsed in November when Scholz fired his finance minister in a dispute over how to revitalise the economy. That paved the way for an early election on February 23. Contenders to lead the next government have made contrasting proposals on how to inject new vigour into the economy.

Germany's new digital visa portal offers opportunities for Indian workers

The portal caters to 28 categories of national visas, including those for work, education, training, and family reunification

Global EV sales jump 25% in 2024 as China leads and Europe stabilises

Incentives and emission targets pushed EV sales in China and aided Britain in overtaking Germany as Europe's biggest battery-electric market in 2024

Animal transports banned in German state as foot-and-mouth disease detected

Animal transports were banned in a state surrounding Berlin on Saturday and the capital's two zoos closed as a precaution after foot-and-mouth disease was detected in a buffalo herd just outside the city, Germany's first outbreak for more than 35 years. Authorities in Brandenburg state, which surrounds Berlin, said on Friday that a farmer found three of a 14-strong herd of water buffalo dead in Hoenow, just outside the capital's city limits. Germany's national animal health institute confirmed that foot-and-mouth disease had been detected in samples from one animal, and the rest of the herd was slaughtered. It wasn't clear how the animals were infected. A 72-hour ban on transporting cows, pigs, sheep, goats and other animals such as camels and llamas in Brandenburg went into force Saturday. Berlin's two zoos closed starting Saturday as a preventive measure. Their management noted in a statement that while the virus isn't dangerous to humans, it can stick to their clothing and be ...

Germany trying to stem illegal migration, protect liberal stance: Ackermann

Germany is trying to reduce the illegal migration while protecting its very liberal immigration policy at the same time, German Ambassador to India Philipp Ackermann has said. He made the remarks during an interview with former Indian Diplomat Vijay Gokhale at Pune Public Policy Festival, on the topic - 'Trump's world: How the rest will deal with political change in the United States.' Responding to a question related to Germany being bearing the brunt of immigration, Ackermann said the core of the country's internal politics is migrational. "You have to imagine that 30 per cent of the German population has one non-German parent and 20 per cent of the German population (German nationals) have two non-German parents. "Basically, our country has turned in the last 20 -25 years to a complete immigration country, therefore saying that closing the door is absurd because we have lived from migration and from migration," he said. He claimed that Germany has the most liberal immigration l

Germany calls Russian oil tanker adrift in Baltic Sea threat to security

An oil tanker believed to be part of Russia's efforts to evade sanctions went adrift and had to be towed by a German tugboat on Friday in what Germany's foreign minister called a danger to security and tourism in the Baltic Sea. The Panamanian-flagged Eventin was believed to be carrying 99,000 tons of oil from Russia en route to Egypt when it went adrift for several hours north of the German island of Rugen. The Bremen Fighter tugboat was deployed to pull the ship into a harbour, and there was no immediate danger to the environment, the German news agency dpa said. Greenpeace says that Eventin belongs to a so-called Russian shadow fleet, which is made up of hundreds of aging tankers that are dodging sanctions in order to keep oil revenue flowing into the Russian state budget. The sanctions were imposed after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that the incident shows that Russia is endangering European security not only with its w

Musk holds discussions with Germany's 'far-right' leaders ahead of polls

Tech billionaire Elon Musk live-streamed a chat with a leader of Germany's far-right party on Thursday, using the power of his social media platform, X, to amplify its message ahead of an upcoming national election and raising concerns across Europe about potential meddling by the world's richest man. Musk, who worked last year to help reelect Donald Trump in the United States, told Alice Weidel, a co-leader of the Alternative for Germany party and its candidate for chancellor, that he was strongly recommending that people vote for AfD, using the acronym for the party. The two agreed that Germany's taxes are too high, that there is too much immigration and that it was a mistake for the country to shut down nuclear power plants. More than 190,000 X accounts tuned into the conversation. Musk has previously used X to endorse AfD, and he authored an article for the Welt am Sonntag newspaper, claiming Germany under center-left Chancellor Olaf Scholz is teetering on the edge of economic

German inflation rises more than expected in Dec on higher food prices

The annual consumer price inflation rate rose to 2.9 per cent, higher than the 2.6 per cent forecast by analysts

Ukraine to urge allies for stronger air defences at Germany meet: Zelenskyy

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he will again call on allies to boost its air defences at this week's meeting in Germany, as US President-elect Donald Trump takes over later this month with a vow to end the almost three-year war quickly. Zelenskyy said that dozens of partner countries will participate in the meeting of the Ramstein group at Ramstein Air Base in Germany on Thursday, including those who can help boost our capabilities not only to defend against missiles but also against guided bombs and Russian aviation. We will discuss this with them and continue to persuade them, Zelenskyy said in his nightly address on Saturday. The task remains unchanged: strengthening our air defence. US Defence Secretary Lloyd J. Austin will attend the meeting. Biden was originally scheduled to attend the October summit in Ramstein but it was postponed because of response to Hurricane Milton that battered the US. In its last few weeks in office, the Biden administration was pressin

US Senate probes Credit Suisse over hidden Nazi-era account connections

Investigators identified Credit Suisse accounts for more than three dozen individuals connected to the ratlines, Barofsky said in his letter

Musk berated by German leaders for extending support to far-right party

Musk, a key advisor and major donor to US President-elect Donald Trump, has repeatedly praised the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany in recent weeks

German govt seeks to downplay Musk's backing of AfD party ahead of election

The German government on Monday sought to downplay efforts by tech entrepreneur Elon Musk to get involved in the country's general election campaign by again endorsing the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, party. Musk caused uproar over the weekend after backing the AfD in an opinion piece in a major newspaper, leading to the resignation of the paper's opinion editor in protest. Freedom of expression also includes the greatest nonsense," government spokesperson Christiane Hoffmann said, adding that should wouldn't comment further on Musk's statements. She did, however, say that it is indeed the case that Elon Musk is trying to influence the federal election through his statement." In that context, Hoffmann also pointed out that the AfD is being monitored by Germany's domestic intelligence service on suspicion of being right-wing extremist and that it has already been recognised as such in some individual German states. Germany is to vote in an early election on February 2

India, China to Germany and UK: How major economies performed in 2024

While India and US have optimistic outlooks going into 2025, Germany and UK may see sluggish growth

Elon Musk supports far-right AfD party in Germany through oped piece

Elon Musk, who endorsed Donald Trump's presidential bid in the US election, has also supported far-right political outfits in the UK

German president dissolves parliament, snap election set for 23 Feb

The vote also kicked off election campaigning in earnest, with conservative challenger Friedrich Merz, who surveys suggest is likely to replace Scholz

Germany's SPD calls for Antitrust Act to limit Elon Musk's influence

A modern-day version would essentially lead to a break-up of Musk's increasingly monopolistic conglomerate of companies

Germany says Saudi warned about Magdeburg Christmas market attack suspect

German authorities said they received tipoffs last year about the suspect in a car attack at a Christmas market in Magdeburg as more details emerged on Sunday about the five people killed. Authorities have identified the suspect as a Saudi doctor who arrived in Germany in 2006 and had received permanent residency. Police haven't publicly named the suspect, in line with privacy rules, but some German news outlets have identified him as Taleb A. and reported that he was a specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy. Authorities say he does not fit the usual profile of perpetrators of extremist attacks. He described himself as an ex-Muslim who was highly critical of Islam and in many posts on social media expressed support for the far-right anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. He is being held in custody as authorities investigate him. The head of the Federal Criminal Police Office, Holger Mnch, said in an interview on the German broadcaster ZDF on Saturday that his off

Updates: Kuwait confers its highest honour 'The Order of Mubarak Al Kabeer' to PM Modi

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