Recovery across the private sector in Germany came to a halt in December as the country moved to contain the latest wave of COVID-19 infections with tighter restrictions, flash purchasing managers’ index (PMI) data from IHS Markit showed on Thursday. The headline Flash Germany PMI Composite Output Index registered 50.0 in December, down from 52.2 in…
Recovery Across Germany’s Private Sector Halts in December Amid Latest COVID-19 Wave, Tighter Restrictions
Moscow to Retaliate Over Germany’s Diplomat Expulsions
MOSCOW—Moscow will retaliate against Germany after Berlin expelled two Russian diplomats over the 2019 murder of a Georgian citizen, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday. In a statement on Telegram messenger, she described the move by Germany as “unfriendly” and said Moscow would make a further statement soon. By Andrey Ostrouk
Germany: 8 Convicted Over Illegal Data Center in Bunker
BERLIN—A German court on Monday convicted eight people over their role in a data processing center installed at a former military bunker that hosted sites dealing in drugs and other illegal activities. The data center at the former bunker in Traben-Trarbach, a picturesque town on the Mosel River in western Germany, was raided and shut…
Alstom to Cut Up to 1,300 Jobs in Germany in Restructuring Drive
MUNICH—French train maker Alstom plans to cut up to 1,300 of its roughly 10,000 jobs in Germany over the next three years as part of a restructuring after the purchase of Bombardier’s rail unit, a spokesperson for the company said. Production of trains in Germany, where Alstom has its biggest workforce, is to be shrunk…
German Lawmakers Back Vaccine Mandate for Health Workers
BERLIN—German lawmakers have overwhelmingly backed a bill that requires staff at hospitals and nursing homes to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Of the 689 votes cast in the lower house on the measure, 571 were in favor and 80 were against. Abstentions were recorded for 38 lawmakers. The bill, which is being fast-tracked, still needs to…
Germany’s Baerbock Says Common European Response Needed on Beijing Olympics
BERLIN—German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Thursday that Europe needed to find a common response on the issue of a diplomatic boycott of February’s Winter Olympics in Beijing. She said the case of Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai, whose whereabouts have become a matter of international concern following her allegations of being sexually assaulted,…
Germany Clears Mercedes-Benz’s Hands-Free Drive System
BERLIN—Germany’s car watchdog has cleared Mercedes-Benz’s semi-autonomous driving system, paving the way for the Daimler AG subsidiary to begin offering its Drive Pilot system internationally. The highly automated system allows the driver to focus on other activities while a car equipped with the technology is in heavy traffic or on congested highways, Mercedes-Benz said in…
Luge Champion Geisenberger Says She May Skip Beijing Games
ALTENBERG, Germany—Natalie Geisenberger of Germany, the two-time defending women’s Olympic luge champion, is considering skipping the Beijing Games because of her dissatisfaction with the way athletes were treated by Chinese officials when training there earlier this season. Geisenberger made the revelation Wednesday in an interview with German regional broadcaster BR. It would be a massive…
Scholz Takes Over as German Chancellor, Ending Merkel Era
BERLIN—Social Democrat Olaf Scholz became Germany’s chancellor on Wednesday, ending 16 years of conservative rule under Angela Merkel and launching his three-way coalition that has pledged to boost green investment and strengthen European integration. Scholz, 63, who over the past four years served as vice chancellor and finance minister in coalition with Merkel, won a…
End of an Era: Germany’s Merkel Bows out After 16 Years
BERLIN—Angela Merkel was assured of a place in the history books as soon as she became Germany’s first female chancellor on Nov. 22, 2005. Over the next 16 years, she was credited with raising Germany’s profile and influence, working to hold a fractious European Union together, managing a string of crises, and being a role…
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