Germany

05:50

German Former Spy Chief

Former German intelligence Chief faces espionage probe as questions resurface over Israeli links

The arrest of former German intelligence chief August Hanning on espionage-related charges has drawn renewed attention to his past connections with Israeli security figures and a controversial cross-border child custody case generating significant public scrutiny.

13:29

Strategic relations

German-Azerbaijani conference spotlights strategic connectivity projects

The German-Azerbaijani Connectivity Conference 2026 commenced on 6 October in Baku under the title “Mobilising Finance for Infrastructure, Transport, Logistics, Green Energy, and Digitalisation along the Middle Corridor.”

18:12

View from Georgia

German foundations halt Georgia work as grants law deepens EU rift

Four major German political foundations have halted their work in Georgia as tighter rules on foreign grants put pressure on a decades-old partnership and add to tensions between Tbilisi and its European partners.

18:39

Ukraine-Russia war

Germany's Merz arrives in Kyiv to the sound of sirens and explosions

The sound of air raid sirens and explosions rang out in Ukraine's capital Kyiv on Sunday (4 October) as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived for a visit to show support for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy amid escalating Russian attacks.

14:11

Diesel stocks

Trump administration presses France and Germany to release diesel reserves

The Trump administration has urged France and Germany to release emergency diesel reserves to ease global fuel prices, warning they could otherwise face restrictions on U.S. diesel exports, according to three people familiar with the discussions who spoke to Reuters.

21:25

View from Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan offers Germany bigger role in critical minerals supply chains

Kazakhstan and Germany have agreed to expand cooperation in critical minerals, industry, energy and transport, with Astana seeking a greater German role in developing supply chains and higher-value production.

21:33

Middle East conflict

Iran, EU tensions escalate as Tehran orders expulsion of Swedish diplomat

Iran has ordered a Swedish diplomat to leave the country, after Stockholm expelled an Iranian embassy staffer, as diplomatic tensions between Tehran and several European countries deepen.

17:59

Europe's Far Right

Europe's Far Right is no longer a shock and that may be the bigger story

A decade ago, a far-right party winning a major Western European election would have caused a political shock. Today, such results are increasingly becoming part of Europe’s political landscape.

09:42

Russia-Germany Talks

Russia and Germany hold first high-level talks since Ukraine war began

Russia and Germany have held their first ministerial-level meeting since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, signalling a rare diplomatic contact between two countries whose relations have deteriorated sharply over the course of the war.

15:54

View from Türkiye

Germany extends Patriot deployment in Türkiye until 2027

Germany will keep its Patriot air-defence system deployed in eastern Türkiye until April 2027 as NATO bolsters its defences against regional missile threats.

09:02

State elections

Germany's Merz says 'disaster' result after far-right AfD leads another state election

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) took first place in state elections in northeastern Germany on Sunday, voting projections showed, delivering the worst result for Chancellor Friedrich Merz's mainstream conservative party since 1949.

08:54

Election Results

Left Party doubles support in Berlin election, defeating Merz's CDU

The Left Party won Sunday's Berlin state election with 25.5 per cent of the vote in the preliminary result, ahead of the Christian Democrats (CDU) on 19.1 per cent. This marks a major shift in the city's political landscape and a setback for Chancellor Friedrich Merz's ruling coalition.

17:02

German elections

German state elections put fresh pressure on Chancellor Merz

German voters cast ballots on Sunday in two state elections that could add to the political pressure on Chancellor Friedrich Merz, as his government faces growing public frustration and a resurgent far right.

20:20

Elections

Election season: The key votes shaping politics in late 2026

From Russia’s parliamentary election and Germany’s regional votes to the U.S. midterms, several major elections are taking place in September and November of 2026. Meanwhile, Sweden has already voted, with parties now negotiating to form a new government.

14:14

Opinion

'The Far Right at Full Speed': The Normalisation of Extremism

There are moments in history when societies discover that ideas they believed had been buried are not dead at all. They have simply been waiting for another political, economic or social crisis to bring them back to the surface.

12:19

Russia-Ukraine war

Why are Germany and Russia locked in the worst diplomatic spat of the Ukraine war?

Russia and Germany are locked in their most serious diplomatic dispute since the start of the war in Ukraine, after Berlin accused Moscow of carrying out a drone attack on a key logistics airport in August.

07:29

AfD Concerns

Lithuanian President warns of growing populist influence following AfD win

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has expressed concern over the AfD's strong performance in Germany's Saxony-Anhalt state election, calling the result disappointing and warning about the growing influence of populist forces in Europe.

19:13

View from Iran

Iran rejects U.S.-E3 nuclear resolution as ‘meaningless, illogical and illegal’

Iran has dismissed a joint U.S.-E3 draft resolution on its nuclear programme as “meaningless, illogical, and illegal”, saying Tehran is ready to respond if the measure is pursued at the ongoing IAEA board meeting in Vienna.

18:11

Germany's politics

Germany’s far-right AfD wins historic state election

Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has scored a historic victory in Saxony-Anhalt, emerging as the strongest party in the eastern state and putting it closer than ever to forming a regional government.

13:39

Volkswagen

Volkswagen approves major overhaul as 100,000 jobs face cuts

Volkswagen’s supervisory board has approved a major overhaul aimed at cutting 100,000 jobs by 2030 as the German carmaker battles weaker sales, falling profits and intensifying global competition.

19:00

Germany

Germany investigates train station blast and second power grid sabotage attempt

German authorities are investigating two separate incidents involving critical infrastructure after an explosion at a railway station in Augsburg injured two people and a suspected sabotage attack targeted an electricity substation near Bergheim.

06:14

Job cuts

Union vows resistance as Volkswagen plans 50,000 job cuts

Volkswagen is heading towards a decisive showdown with labour representatives as Germany's largest carmaker weighs sweeping restructuring measures that could lead to factory closures and tens of thousands of job losses.

09:36

Wildfires

EU sends helicopters, firefighters to Serbia to tackle wildfires

The European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism sent helicopters and firefighters to help Serbia fight a massive wildfire in a nature reserve in the northeast of the country, the head of the European Union mission to Belgrade said.

04:42

Germany | Politics

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz under pressure as support falls and AfD gains ground

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is facing growing pressure as his approval ratings fall and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party gains support.