Germany irritated by Ukraine's snub of a presidential visit
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday criticized a diplomatic snub by Ukraine for his country's president and defended Berlin's record on delivering weapons to Kyiv amid tensions that have flared at a delicate moment in German policymaking on the war. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Germany's largely ceremonial head of state, had hoped to travel to Ukraine on Wednesday with his Polish and Baltic counterparts. The German newspaper Bild quoted an unidentified Ukrainian diplomat as saying that Steinmeier was not welcome at the moment, pointing to his close relations with Russia in the past.
news.yahoo.comGerman president asks country to confront its colonial past
Germany’s president has called on the country to face its cruel colonial past as he opened a new museum in the capital’s center that will be home to two of Berlin’s state museums which include looted artifacts from countries in Africa and elsewhere.
German candidate sorry for laughing scene in flood visit
The front-runner to succeed Chancellor Angela Merkel in Germany’s September election has apologized for a scene in which he was seen laughing in the background as the country’s president delivered a statement on the devastating floods in western Germany.
German candidate sorry for laughing scene in flood visit
The front-runner to succeed Chancellor Angela Merkel in Germany's September election has apologized for a scene in which he was seen laughing in the background as the country's president delivered a statement on the devastating floods in western Germany. Armin Laschet, the candidate of Merkel's center-right Union bloc to be Germany's next leader, is also the governor of North Rhine-Westphalia state — one of two badly hit by last week's floods. On Saturday, he visited the town of Erfstadt, which was the scene of a dramatic rescue effort after the ground gave way, with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
news.yahoo.comDeath toll from Europe floods tops 150 as water recedes
The death toll from disastrous flooding in western Europe rose above 150 on Saturday as rescue workers toiled to clear up the devastation and prevent further damage. Police said that more than 90 people are now known to have died in western Germany's Ahrweiler county, one of the worst-hit areas, and more casualties are feared. On Friday, authorities gave a death toll of 63 for Rhineland-Palatinate state, where Ahrweiler is located.
news.yahoo.comIsrael welcomes German leader as ally against antisemitism
Israel's president warmly welcomed his German counterpart on Thursday, praising him as an ally in combatting antisemitism. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is set to meet with Israel's new Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial. Israeli President Reuven Rivlin said that Germany has been “our strong partner in the uncompromising fight against antisemitism” and has stood with Israel against “the forces of terror who seek to wipe us off the map.”
news.yahoo.comMerkel: 'A quiet Easter' needed to counter rising infections
“There needs to be a quiet Easter festival,” Merkel said in a video address. AdIn contrast, Britain has given one vaccine shot to 46% of its people. Health Minister Jens Spahn said routine vaccinations will begin in doctors' practices on Tuesday, with 35,000 GPs scheduled to receive 940,000 vaccine doses next week. Germany expects to receive about 40 million vaccine doses during the second quarter. AdMerkel, who is 66, says she would be prepared to take the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Scientist behind coronavirus shot says next target is cancer
Ozlem Tureci founder of the BioNTech company speaks during an interview with the Associated Press in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, March 18, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)BERLIN – The scientist who won the race to deliver the first widely used coronavirus vaccine says people can rest assured the shots are safe, and the technology behind it will soon be used to fight another global scourge — cancer. “There is a very rigid process in place and the process does not stop after a vaccine has been approved,” she said. “We have several different cancer vaccines based on mRNA," said Tureci, who is BioNTech's chief medical officer. “You began with a drug to treat cancer in a single individual,” Steinmeier told the couple.
UN to rich nations: Don't undermine COVAX vaccine program
(AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)BERLIN – The head of the World Health Organization pleaded with rich countries on Monday to check before ordering additional COVID-19 vaccine shots for themselves whether that undermines efforts to get vaccine shots to poorer nations. Wealthy nations have snapped up several billion vaccine doses while some countries in the developing world have little or none. Tedros added that rich countries need to “cooperate in respecting the deals that COVAX did” and make sure before they seek more vaccines that their requests don’t undermine those deals. WHO also said Monday it had reached an agreement with Chubb Limited on behalf of COVAX for a global vaccine injury compensation program. The initiative will allow people in poorer countries to get compensation for rare but serious side effects linked to COVID-19 vaccines distributed through COVAX until next June.
Germany commemorates victims of racist shooting, 1 year on
The names of the nine victims of the Hanau shooting are painted on a building in Hanau, Germany, Thursday, Feb.18, 2021. One year ago a far right man shot nine people before he shot himself. The rampage in Hanau, near Frankfurt, caused widespread shock in Germany and beyond. Mehmet Daimagueler, a prominent lawyer who has represented victims of other racist crimes in Germany, said the attack in Hanau should prompt politicians to reflect on the stereotypes about migrants they repeat, including portraying shisha bars as crime dens. “The state needs to start fighting racism in its own house," Daimagueler told news portal Watson, calling for racist officials to lose their jobs and victims of hate crimes to be taken more seriously.
Auschwitz survivors mark anniversary online amid pandemic
Most observances were held online, due to the coronavirus pandemic, and only few people attended the ceremony at the monument. In Israel, some 900 Holocaust survivors died from COVID-19 out of 5,300 who were infected last year. Israel, which counts 197,000 Holocaust survivors, officially marks its Holocaust remembrance day in the spring. Meanwhile, Luxembourg signed a deal agreeing to pay reparations and to restitute dormant bank accounts, insurance policies and looted art to Holocaust survivors. Of the 6 million Jewish victims, some 1.5 million were children, and this year's commemorations included a special focus on them.
German virus death toll tops 50,000 even as infections sink
More than 50,000 people have died after contracting COVID-19 in Germany, a number that has risen swiftly over recent weeks as the country has struggled to bring down infection figures. (AP Photo/Michael Probst, File)BERLIN – The death toll from the coronavirus in Germany has passed 50,000, a number that has risen swiftly over recent weeks even as infection figures are finally declining. Germany had a comparatively small number of deaths in the pandemic’s first phase and was able to lift many restrictions quickly. Hundreds of deaths, sometimes more than 1,000, have been reported daily in the country of 83 million people over recent weeks. There are currently 4,787 COVID-19 patients in intensive care, said Gernot Marx, the head of Germany's intensive care association, DIVI.
World hopes for renewed cooperation with US under Biden
Many expressed hope Biden would right U.S. democracy two weeks after rioters stormed the Capitol, shaking the faith of those fighting for democracy in their own countries. Biden “understands the importance of cooperation among nations,” said former Colombian president and Nobel Peace Prize winner Juan Manuel Santos, who left office in 2018. “President Biden’s message of unity as he takes office is one that resonates with New Zealanders,” Ardern said. World leaders also acknowledged the history of Vice President Kamala Harris taking office. “That is an historic moment and one that, I think as a father of daughters, you can only celebrate," Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.
U.S. allies "greatly relieved" as Biden steps up, but they've learned to be wary, too
There had been suggestions that Mr. Trump might take post-presidential refuge at one of his golf clubs in Scotland. Yes, President Biden said the U.S. will re-join the Paris Climate Accords, but what does that mean? European allies certainly expect the Biden administration to reengage, to take a more cooperative approach to solving the world's biggest problems. Maurizio Gambarini/picture alliance/GettyBut those allies know not every element of Mr. Trump's foreign policy will be rolled back. Overall, America's allies are approaching the new White House with optimism, but it is optimism tempered by a wariness learned over the past four years.
cbsnews.comEU sighs with relief as Biden readies to enter White House
European Council President Charles Michel, who chairs summits between the EU’s 27 heads of state and government, said that trans-Atlantic relations have “greatly suffered in the last four years. In these years, the world has grown more complex, less stable and less predictable.”“We have our differences and they will not magically disappear. Michel said the EU’s priority is to tackle the coronavirus pandemic and climate change, rebuild the global economy and boost security ties with Washington. “I am greatly relieved that, today, Joe Biden is being sworn in as president and will be moving into the White House. “Despite all the joy we feel today, we must not forget that even the most powerful democracy in the world has been seduced by populism.
World reaction to the storming of the US Capitol
Reaction from around the world to the storming of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump:___“A fundamental rule of democracy is that, after elections, there are winners and losers. ——“The rampage at the Capitol yesterday was a disgraceful act and it must be vigorously condemned.” — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This is a historic turning point for the United States, and it is an attack on liberal democracy as a whole. — Donald Tusk, former European Union leader, former prime minister of Poland. Democracy presupposes peaceful protest, but violence and death threats —from Left or Right— are ALWAYS wrong.” — Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa.
Germany sets date for election determining Merkel successor
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, center in red dress, delivers her speech during the debate about Germany's budget 2021, at the parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)BERLIN – Germany's next parliamentary election, which will determine the country's new leader after Chancellor Angela Merkel's long rule, will be held on Sept. 26, 2021. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier's office said Wednesday that the head of state set the date in line with a recommendation from the government. That may not happen until well after the election, because the process of putting together a governing coalition can be lengthy. After the 2017 election, it was nearly six months before Merkel was sworn in for her fourth term — a record.
Germany marks 75th anniversary of landmark Nuremberg trials
FILE - In this Nov. 21, 1945 file photo, Reichsmarshal Hermann Goering stands in the prisoner's dock at the Nuremberg War Crimes Trial in Germany. Germany marks the 75th anniversary of the landmark Nuremberg trials of several Nazi leaders and in what is now seen as the birthplace of a new era of international law on Friday, Nov. 20, 2020. The proceedings broke new ground in holding government leaders individually responsible for their aggression and slaughter of millions of innocents. Nuremberg was the city where Adolf Hitler reviewed torchlight Nazi party rallies and promulgated the race laws of 1935 that paved the way for the Holocaust. The city of Nuremberg is marking the anniversary in Courtroom 600 with a ceremony Friday that will include German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier as the guest of honor.
Bound despite Brexit: Prince Charles hails UK-Germany ties
Britain's Prince Charles arrives for a meeting with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at Bellevue Palace in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020. Prince Charles attends Germany's national memorial day and will held a speech at the parliament building. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)BERLIN – Prince Charles called Sunday for Britain and Germany to remember their long and close ties, reaffirmed by the nations' reconciliation after two world wars, as the U.K. tries to find its place outside — but also alongside — the European Union. The palace was built in the late 18th century by Prince Augustus Ferdinand of Prussia, to whom Charles is distantly related through his family's German line. Charles, 72, was exempt due to the diplomatic nature of his trip from Germany's rules requiring him to go into quarantine on arrival from Britain.
New virus restrictions in Europe; Merkel warns of hard days
Medical staff takes a COVID-19 test at a coronavirus test center in Cologne, Germany, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020. The city exceeded the important warning level of 50 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants in seven days. All pubs and restaurants must close except for takeaway services, and schools will close for two weeks for an extended half-term holiday. Germany, which was widely lauded for rapidly slowing the spread of the virus when the pandemic first broke out, has seen rapidly climbing numbers in recent days. Italy’s other hardest hit region, southern Campania, has taken similarly strict measures, including a shutdown of schools for two weeks.
'Best Germany yet' marks 30th anniversary of reunification
BERLIN – Germany marked the 30th anniversary of its reunification on Saturday, drawing a generally positive picture of the progress made in knitting together east and west. The country's president declared that today's is “the best Germany there has ever been” and proposed a new memorial to the “peaceful revolutionaries” who helped end communist rule. Germany is “rightly proud” on the anniversary of reunification, "and no pandemic can get in the way of that,” Steinmeier said. “Let's thank all those who worked for it.”He advocated creating a memorial to the “peaceful revolutionaries” of East Germany whose efforts brought the communist dictatorship to an end. Germany could use “a place that reminds us that East Germans took their fate in their own hands and liberated themselves," Steinmeier said.
Germany pays tribute to victims of 1980 Oktoberfest bombing
BERLIN – Senior officials and survivors paid tribute Saturday to the victims of a deadly neo-Nazi attack on Munich’s Oktoberfest 40 years ago, as Germany’s president warned that far-right extremism remains a persistent problem in the country. The bombing on the evening of Sept. 26, 1980, claimed 13 lives, including that of three children and the attacker, student Gundolf Koehler, a supporter of a banned far-right group. “Right-wing extremism has deep roots in our society,” President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said at a memorial event in the Bavarian capital. Steinmeier said the perpetrators weren't “disturbed people,” but rather part of “networks that we need to investigate.”An initial investigation of the Oktoberfest attack concluded that Koehler acted alone, out of personal frustration. Bavaria's governor, Markus Soeder, apologized to survivors and the victims' families for mistakes made during the initial investigation.
Pompeo says criticism of Trump's 'America First' policy doesn't 'reflect reality'
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo adresses the audience on the podium during the 56th Munich Security Conference in Munich on February 15, 2020. MUNICH Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday defended the United States' foreign policy approach and dismissed criticisms that the Trump administration disregards international alliances. The West is winning, and we're winning together," Pompeo said in a speech at the Munich Security Conference. "Our closest ally, the United States of America, under the current administration, rejects the very concept of the international community," he said. "'Great again' but at the expense of neighbors and partners," Steinmeier added without naming Trump but referring to his "Make America Great Again" campaign slogan.
cnbc.comGerman president slams Trump's 'America First' foreign policy in front of Pompeo and Esper
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier addresses the opening speech of the 56th Munich Security Conference in Munich, southern Germany, on February 14, 2020. "Our closest ally, the United States of America, under the current administration, rejects the very concept of the international community," he said. In his opening remarks, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier warned that the United States would put its own interests first at the expense of allies. MUNICH Germany's president kicked off the annual Munich Security Conference on Friday by taking a swipe at President Donald Trump's "America First" foreign policy approach. Read more: Nuclear weapons and 5G among national security topics at Munich Security ConferenceSteinmeier also accused Russia and China of amplifying global insecurity in pursuit of "great power" competition.
cnbc.comAllies, Germany mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge
Bastogne, Belgium Side by side, the Allies and former enemy Germany together marked the 75th anniversary of one of the most important battles in World War II: the Battle of the Bulge. American soldiers check for identification on the bodies of dead U.S. troops shot by the Germans near Malmedy, Belgium, Jan. 1945 during World War II's Battle of the Bulge. World War II veteran Joe Landry, from Massachusetts, and Jack Stitzinger wait for the start of a ceremony to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge at the Luxembourg American Cemetery in Hamm, Luxembourg on Monday, Dec. 16, 2019. Troops from the American First Army cautiously search a wooded area in Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge, Dec. 24, 1944 during World War II. U.S. tanks move in the snow and ice from the town of Tri-le-Cheslaing, Belgium, on Jan. 7, 1945 during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II.
cbsnews.comEntangled in Trump scandal, the Ukrainian president faces challenges at home
The conflict followed the 2013 Maidan street revolution in Kyiv, which forced Kremlin-favored President Viktor Yanukovych to flee to Russia. In that call, Trump asked Zelensky for help investigating former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Bidens business dealings in Ukraine. That call is now the basis of an impeachment inquiry asking whether Trump abused his official powers. In 2014, then-Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko oversaw the Minsk peace plan intended to stop the fighting in eastern Ukraine. It was signed by Russia, Ukraine, and representatives from the self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk Peoples Republics.
latimes.comGermany's Angela Merkel gets the shakes in public for the 2nd time in just 9 days
German Chancellor Angela Merkel was seen shaking as she met President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Berlin, Germany, June 27, 2019, her second shaking bout within two weeks. REUTERSBerlin -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel appeared unsteady and was seen shaking for the second time in just over a week at a ceremony in Berlin on Thursday. Merkel set off to Japan a few hours later for the annual summit of the Group of 20 global powers. Last week, dpa reported that Merkel had previously been seen shaking under similar circumstances in the hot sun. Merkel said last year that she won't seek a fifth term as chancellor and won't seek any other political job after her current term ends in 2021.
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