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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
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva gestures to reporters following his White House meeting with US President Donald Trump, at the Brazilian Embassy in Washington, on Thursday. Photo: Reuters
China-Latin America relations

Lula won’t sideline China on rare earths, tells Trump refining stays in Brazil

In a three-hour White House meeting on Thursday, Brazil’s president pitched his country’s minerals to all comers.

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Ukraine war

Zelensky warns Russia’s allies against attending WWII parade in Moscow

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Disease

Nations race to trace passengers of hantavirus-hit cruise ship

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Japan

Trump’s last Japanese diehard fans lose faith as Iran war chaos spreads

Concerns in Japan are also mounting over the security ties between Japan and the US as Trump seeks to withdraw more troops from Europe.

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Protesters hold placards representing Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and US President Donald Trump at a demonstration in Tokyo on Sunday. Photo: Reuters
China-EU relations

EU plan to rip out Chinese hardware will cost massive US$430 billion: report

Brussels’ proposed new Cybersecurity Act would require vast amounts of Chinese equipment to be ripped out and replaced in a slew of industries.

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Disease

Spain opens port to virus-hit cruise ship as rare Andes strain confirmed

Madrid steps in to help the MV Hondius, a luxury cruise ship at the centre of an international health scare.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

From Beijing to Berlin: Chinese EVs turn heads as brands eye European markets

BYD, Geely and Xpeng showcase eye-catching EVs at Beijing auto show as they build momentum in Europe and target more discerning buyers.

A humanoid robot poses at a BYD booth beside an electric vehicle at the Beijing auto show. Photo: Kyodo
Disease

Deadly hantavirus may have spread between humans on cruise, but risk low: WHO

The MV Hondius will be sailing to Spain’s Canary Islands, where the 150 people on board will be examined, cared for and sent home.

China-EU relations

Exclusive | EU sounds out industry over new trade weapon against China’s overcapacity

Brussels is polling business groups ahead of commissioners’ meeting but few details of the proposed instrument have been revealed.

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China-EU relations

Brussels bans Chinese inverters from EU-funded power projects

EU official says Brussels has identified cybersecurity and dependency risks in Chinese inverters.

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Staff members assemble inverters at an industrial park in Wuzhong, Ningxia Hui autonomous region, in February last year. Photo: Xinhua
European Union

UK eyes joining EU’s €90 billion loan to Ukraine

Discussions at a summit in Armenia are a further sign of deepening European defence ties under rising US pressure.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday. Photo: dpa
Volkswagen

Driver ploughs car into crowd in Germany’s Leipzig, killing 2

The driver, a 33-year-old German citizen, was detained for what authorities described as a deliberate rampage.

Crime

Germany jails mother for locking up daughter for 7 years

The girl, who is now 11 years old, was locked up for about seven years before being freed in September 2022.

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China-EU relations

Two worlds collide: the regulatory battlefield hanging over EU-China ties

One side crafts regulation out of fear that the other side’s rules may expose its vulnerabilities.

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Jens Eskelund, chair of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, says ambiguous regulations make it difficult for companies to understand what they must comply with. Photo: dpa
European cinema

Review | Sound of Falling: Cannes Jury Prize winner is a beautiful tale of trauma

The lives of four women in different eras on one farm are intertwined with haunting narratives of trauma and liberation in Sound of Falling.

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Hanna Heckt (centre) as Alma in a still from Sound of Falling (category III, German), directed by Mascha Schilinski. Lea Drinda, Lena Urzendowsky and Laeni Geiseler co-star.
US, Israel war on Iran

Glimmer of hope in Hormuz Strait, fragile ceasefire holds: what happened overnight

US President Donald Trump has offered some help to commercial shipping and competing plans for peace are said to be on the table.

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Friedrich Merz

German chancellor plays down row with Trump in fallout from US troop withdrawal

Friedrich Merz denies his criticism of the Iran war triggered Trump to announce drawdown of 5,000 soldiers.

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Italy

Rubio to visit Rome, meet Pope Leo who has clashed with Trump

US secretary of state also seeks a meeting with Italy’s Meloni, whom Trump has also turned against.

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Pope Leo has emerged as an outspoken critic of the US-Israeli led war with Iran, among other issues. Photo: TNS
My Take

My Take | Why a resurgent Japan should absolutely scare everyone

Denying war guilt and remilitarisation are but two sides of the same ideological coin for the Japanese far right.

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Artificial intelligence

From footwear to AI services: China moves up the value chain in exports

In 2025, China’s export growth in telecoms, computer and information services far outpaced exports of traditional goods, such as footwear.

China-EU relations

How can China best profit from Trump’s latest rift with traditional US allies?

The US president’s decision to pull troops out of Germany and threats to do the same to Spain and Italy are the latest rift within Nato.

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Germany has the largest US troop presence in Europe. Photo: Handout
Donald Trump

‘Foolish decision’: Trump’s Germany troop removal rebuked by allies, Nato

Two US lawmakers said the move ‘risks undermining deterrence and sending the wrong signal’ to Russia’s Putin.

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A US Air Force jet takes off from the Ramstein base in Germany in March. Photo: EPA
Trip Inspiration

Discover Europe with flexible, affordable first-class Eurail adventures

Breakfast in Spain, lunch in France and dinner in Italy – with plenty of sightseeing from a comfortable seat in between. The joys of flexible, first-class train travel can be yours for the price of a Eurail pass.

Animals

Humpback whale ‘Timmy’ released in North Sea after weeks stranded off Germany

Repeated attempts to move the marine mammal out of shallow waters have drawn worldwide attention.

2026 Trump-Xi summit

China trip will go ahead as planned – and it will be amazing, Trump insists

US president says the visit will go ahead as planned later this month despite the ongoing stalemate in peace talks with Iran.

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US President Donald Trump said his upcoming visit to China will be great. Photo: AP
Defence

Trump-EU rift spurs Germany to boost military, add 75,000 soldiers

The German defence minister said the US withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany was expected, spurring Europe to improve its defences against Russia.

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An AH-64 Apache attack helicopter stands in front of a Galaxy C-5 transport plane at the US Air Base in Ramstein, western Germany, in 2017. Photo: AFP
Electric & new energy vehicles

Shifting gears: how foreign giants aim to catch up in China’s EV era

International carmakers launch tailored models and accelerate R&D as they scramble to match the speed and sophistication of domestic rivals.

United States

US to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany, fulfilling Trump threat

The move comes after German Chancellor Merz said the US was being ‘humiliated’ by Iran’s leadership.

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