Germany
Latest stories
German 'Fortune Cookies' Foretell Euro's Future

Germany's finance ministry has come up with a novel way of predicting which way the cookie will crumble for the future of the troubled euro.

Fortune cookies filled with positive prophesies for the common European currency, such as "Progress due to a stable euro" or "Progress for a united Europe", have been distributed in Berlin.

W140 Full Story
France Warned on Rating as EU Debt Hopes Dampened

France vowed Tuesday to do everything in its power to keep its triple-A rating following a warning from Moody's, as markets fell after Germany dampened hopes that an EU summit will resolve the Eurozone crisis.

Paris shares tumbled by as much as 2.01 percent early Tuesday after the Moody's warning, following earlier falls on Asian markets amid concerns over the spreading impact of the Eurozone's debt woes.

W140 Full Story
Only 1 in 5 Germans Believe in Euro 2012 Victory

Despite their perfect qualification campaign, only one in five Germans believe their football team will win the European Championships for the fourth time and claim victory in the Euro 2012 final.

According to a survey conducted by SID, an Agence France Presse subsidiary, just 19.5 per cent of those polled here think Germany will win the Euro 2012 final on July 1 in Kiev, with the tournament to be hosted by Poland and the Ukraine.

W140 Full Story
Demonstrators Storm Syrian Embassy in Berlin

A group of about 30 demonstrators stormed the Syrian embassy in Berlin overnight Sunday and confronted the ambassador to Germany, police said, following similar protests in other European capitals.

No one was injured, a police spokesman told Agence France Presse.

W140 Full Story
Germany Summons Syrian Ambassador over U.N. Tirade

Germany has summoned the Syrian ambassador to Berlin over a tirade by Damascus's envoy to the United Nations, the foreign ministry said in a statement here Thursday.

"The Syrian ambassador in Germany was summoned yesterday to the foreign ministry," the statement said.

W140 Full Story
Four Suspected Islamists Held in Germany Over Illegal Arms

German authorities said Sunday they had arrested four alleged Islamists on suspicion of illegally obtaining weapons ahead of a ceremony in Bonn to mark Germany's reunification.

The four men, aged between 22 and 27, were seized Saturday night and their apartments searched, said police in Cologne, near to Bonn, where the festivities were due to be attended by Chancellor Angela Merkel.

W140 Full Story
Pastor Faces Execution in Iran for Refusing to Give up Christianity

Germany summoned the Iranian charge d'affaires to demand a stay of execution for a pastor who has refused to give up Christianity and return to Islam, the foreign ministry said late Thursday.

"In light of the relevant human rights agreements, the death penalty must be lifted against Youssef Nadarkhani," it said in a written statement after Thursday's meeting.

W140 Full Story
World Stocks Cautious Ahead of Crucial Greek Audit

European stocks fell and Wall Street rose in cautious trade on Wednesday amid doubts that Eurozone leaders were any closer to resolving the debt crisis before EU-IMF auditors were due to arrive in Athens.

After see-sawing during the session European stocks closed down with London's FTSE-100 index dropping 1.44 percent to 5,217.63 points.

W140 Full Story
Maradona Accepted Bribes Too, Claims Ex Secretary

Diego Maradona, who this week accused his successor as Argentina coach Sergio Batista of accepting bribes, is also tainted by corruption, according to a claim made here Saturday.

Gabriel Buono, Maradona's former private secretary, made the accusation, saying of his ex boss: "He talks about bribes but if you are looking for someone who is corrupt the first person is Maradona - I've got all the evidence."

W140 Full Story
EU Countries Divided on Possible New Finance Tax

European Union finance ministers are debating a tax on financial transactions that could raise money for the EU as well as make banks share bailout burdens with taxpayers.

But European internal markets Commissioner Michel Barnier said after a meeting Saturday "there's no consensus" on the tax, which would take a tiny fraction from a wide range of financial dealings.

W140 Full Story