Germany
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Germany

Germany
Germany
The latest breaking news and stories on Germany, a country in northern Europe known as a federal republic, and the world’s fourth largest economy. Also covering Germany’s relationship with China and Europe, plus commentary and updates on Germany’s economy, politics, society and social issues.
Capital
Berlin
Head of State
President Frank-Walter Steinmeier
Head of Government
Chancellor Olaf Scholz
Olaf Scholz
Palestinian armed fighters in Gaza during the handover of Israeli captives in October last year. Photo: dpa
Israel-Gaza war

Hamas says will dissolve its Gaza government when Palestinian body takes over

Militant group agrees to cede power to technocratic committee under Trump-brokered plan, but silence remains over disarmament.

India

India’s Modi to host German leader to bolster trade, defence ties

Greenland

Britain in talks with Nato allies over Arctic security as US eyes Greenland

Britain

1 dead in UK, 100,000 French homes without power as storms batter Europe

The man died on Friday after a tree fell onto a caravan in Cornwall, while some rail services in Germany remain affected by the storms.

A fallen tree is cleared from a road in St Stephen, Cornwall, England, on Friday as Storm Goretti continues to batter the United Kingdom. Photo: PA via AP
Taiwan

Taiwan to fortify key facilities and ramp up ammunition output to ward off PLA

Senior official says the island must be ready for drones and new grey-zone tactics as Trump fuels doubts about US commitment.

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Crime

Online predator ‘White Tiger’ on trial in Germany over crimes against children

Shahriar J is accused of driving a trans teen in the US to suicide, and of encouraging kids to make porn that he then used to exploit them.

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European Union

EU agrees to ‘world’s largest’ free-trade zone with Mercosur pact after 25 years

The EU sealed the historic deal with Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay to form a 700 million strong bloc, defying fierce farmer opposition.

EU flags waving in front of the European Parliament building in Brussels, Belgium. Photo: Shutterstock
Artificial intelligence

Chinese robot vacuum maker Dreame sees AI-driven appliances run household chores

The firm’s ambition is to become a ‘world-class technology company’, global president Chang Xinwei says.

Donald Trump

Trump plots to buy Greenland, as Nato ally Denmark seethes

The US president has repeatedly refused to rule out using force to seize the Arctic island, but his team says the first option is diplomacy.

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Ukraine war

Ukraine’s allies agree to ‘robust’ security guarantees in push to end war

UK and France could deploy troops on Ukrainian territory after a ceasefire, but a big question mark hangs over Russia’s response.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky (left) signs a declaration of intent along with France’s President Emmanuel Macron (centre) and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Photo: AFP
Greenland

Use of US military to acquire Greenland ‘always an option’, White House says

Trump’s preferred option might be to buy Greenland from Denmark, but the White House says military action is being considered.

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Danish troops train with Swedish, Norwegian, German and French peers in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, in September 2025. Photo: Retuers
Obituaries

Anne Frank’s stepsister, Holocaust survivor Eva Schloss, dies at 96

Schloss co-founded the Anne Frank Trust UK foundation in 1990 to pass on the memory of the Holocaust to young people and combat prejudice.

Energy

Berlin mayor denounces attack on German capital’s power grid as ‘terrorism’

Mayor demands a federal manhunt for those who plunged 45,000 homes into darkness as the alleged perpetrators claim responsibility.

Switzerland

Swiss grieve as all 40 bar fire victims identified - many of them under 18

Hundreds march in silence to honour victims of the New Year’s Swiss bar fire who were as young as 14.

People gather during a memorial procession in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, on Sunday. Photo: AP
Crime

Loot in German bank vault heist could exceed US$117 million

Hundreds of safe deposit box holders report losses from last month’s heist far exceeding insurance limits.

A giant hole in a wall of the vault of a Sparkasse bank branch after thieves broke in. Photo: Police Gelsenkirchen via EPA
China-EU relations

‘Straddle the middle ground’: Europe’s hard choice over US attacks on Venezuela

Although they do not agree with Trump’s way of doing things, they seem to agree with his ultimate objectives, analyst in China says.

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Energy

Cable fire cuts power to tens of thousands of Berlin homes and businesses

A suspected arson attack damaged the power cables. Authorities said 35,000 households will be without electricity until Thursday afternoon.

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Bangladesh

Asian Angle | Bangladesh needs ‘structural’ change, but how will it get there?

As Bangladesh heads into elections next year, it must tread the challenge of political transition with more care and thoughtfulness.

A man holds a Bangladeshi national flag during celebrations to mark Victory Day at the old airport in Sher-e-Bangal Nagar in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on December 16, 2025. Photo: EPA
Science

As I see it | We can now watch our own genes dance

Modern biology reveals a real miracle: how broken pieces of molecules evolved into a species that became conscious of its own genetic make-up.

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European Union

Opinion | Can Europe survive its crippling paralysis?

The brutal reality is that the European Union is failing to get its squabbling nations to work as a coherent group.

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Ukraine war

Russia claims Ukrainian drone strike kills 24 in occupied Kherson

Moscow accuses Kyiv of New Year’s Eve attack on civilians as diplomats scramble to save fragile peace talks.

Flames and smoke rise after a reported Ukrainian drone strike on a hotel and cafe in Russian-controlled Khorly, Kherson Region on Thursday. Photo: Governor of Kherson Region Vladimir Saldo via Telegram/Reuters
South Korea

Will ‘Made in Europe’ threaten South Korea’s arms export boom?

Observers urge South Korea to integrate itself into European supply chains by increasing production localisation to maintain competitiveness.

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A Chunmoo rocket artillery system manufactured by Hanwha is displayed at the Eurosatory international land and air defence and security trade fair in Villepinte, France, in June 2024. Photo: Reuters
Crime

Video | Gang drills into German bank vault in US$35 million heist

Thieves use quiet Christmas period to drill their way into vault, smash open more than 3,000 safe deposit boxes and make off with the loot.

Crime

‘Ocean’s Eleven’ gang steals millions in cash, gold and jewellery from German bank

Thieves use quiet Christmas period to drill their way into vault, smash open more than 3,000 safe deposit boxes and make off with the loot.

India

India overtakes Japan as world’s fourth largest economy, eyes top 3 in 2026

Government data shows India’s GDP at US$4.18 trillion, with projections it will surpass Germany by 2026 despite global trade challenges.

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People buy vegetables at a market in the old quarters of New Delhi on Tuesday. Photo: AFP
Ukraine war

Russia says Ukraine tried to attack Putin residence, but Zelensky denies it

Ukraine denies accusation as a fabrication after Trump said he was ‘angry’ when Putin told him about the alleged attack.

Satellite imagery from 2023 shows Vladimir Putin’s residential complex in Roshchino, Novgorod, Russia. Photo: Planet Labs PBC via Reuters
Israel

Israel’s rising air defence sales become its ‘most potent’ foreign policy weapon

With more countries increasingly turning to Israel for their air defence systems, they cannot afford to isolate the Middle East power.

Open Questions series

Open Questions | Political scientist Ivan Krastev on Europe’s ‘China shock’, US snub

China’s challenge to Europe’s industrial might and the end of coalition with US has plunged continent into crisis. Can it recover, asks Bulgarian expert Ivan Krastev.

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