Tag: Germany

Germany seeks ‘forgiveness’ 50 years after Munich Olympics massacre

  Munich, Germany (AFP) by Ralf ISERMANN with Hui Min NEO in Berlin Germany on Monday sought “forgiveness” from families of victims in the 1972 Munich Olympics attack, admitting responsibility for a litany of failings that led to the deaths of 11 Israelis. The apology by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on behalf of Germany 50 years on came after a bitter and long fight by bereaved relatives for appropriate compensation and for Berlin to own up […]

Germany agrees 65bn-euro inflation relief package

Berlin, Germany (AFP) The German government on Sunday agreed a 65-billion-euro ($65-billion) plan to ease the pressure on households as Russian gas supplies dwindle and energy bills soar, according to a policy paper seen by AFP. “Timely and proportionate relief for citizens and businesses is necessary due to the rapidly increasing burden of high energy prices,” Germany’s coalition partners said in the document, adding that the total package came to “over 65 billion euros”. The […]

EJ Obiena wins 3rd gold in int’l pole vaulting competitions in Germany

Victory comes following House resolution commending Obiena for bringing honor to PHL   (Eagle News) – Filipino pole vaulter EJ Obiena has won his third gold medal in competitions in Germany, bringing honor anew to the country. Obiena, 26, finished first in the St. Wendel City Jump last August 31 after clearing 5.86 meters, beating Menno Vloon of the Netherlands, a fellow Tokyo Olympian, who placed second after clearing 5.81 meters, and Anthony Ammirati of […]

‘All dead’: the Munich Olympics massacre 50 years ago

by Pascale JUILLIARD Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — September 5, 1972: Palestinian gunmen storm the Olympic Village at the Summer Games in Munich and take a group of Israeli athletes hostage, triggering a standoff that ends in a massacre. AFP was the first news outlet to report on the tragic climax of the attack that shocked the world 50 years ago. Here’s a look at how it unfolded. – ‘Games of Peace and Joy’ […]

Germany in ‘better position’ to counter Russian gas threat: Scholz

MESEBERG, Germany (AFP) – Government measures to assure supplies of gas over the winter have prepared Germany to deal with further curbs in Russian deliveries, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Tuesday, a day before Moscow is due to cut off gas supplies for three days. Germany has set about weaning itself off Russian gas since the invasion of Ukraine, bringing mothballed coal power plants back online, launching a drive to save power and filling its gas […]

Energy fears push German consumer confidence to record low

  BERLIN, Germany (AFP) — German consumer confidence is at rock-bottom as Europe’s biggest economy faces the prospect of huge energy bills heading into the winter, a key survey showed on Friday. Pollster GfK’s forward-looking barometer fell to minus 36.5 points for September, the lowest level since its records began in 1991, following a revised August reading of minus 30.9 points. “The sharp rise in the propensity to save this month is causing the consumer […]

Whistle blows in Germany for world’s first hydrogen train fleet

BERLIN, Germany (AFP) – Germany on Wednesday will inaugurate a railway line powered entirely by hydrogen, a “world first” and a major step forward for green train transport despite nagging supply challenges. A fleet of 14 trains provided by French industrial giant Alstom to the German state Lower Saxony will replace the diesel locomotives on the 100 kilometres (60 miles) of track connecting the cities of Cuxhaven, Bremerhaven, Bremervoerde and Buxtehude near Hamburg. “Whatever the […]

Germany, Canada partner on transatlantic hydrogen trade

OTTAWA, Canada (AFP) — The leaders of Canada and Germany signed a green hydrogen deal on Tuesday, laying a path for a transatlantic supply chain as Europe seeks to lessen its dependence on Russian energy. “It’s a vote of confidence for Canada as a leader in clean energy,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said during a joint press conference with visiting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. “We cannot as a world continue to rely on authoritarian countries […]

Germany’s Scholz looks to Canada as energy supplier

MONTREAL, Canada (AFP) — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Canada to firm up access to new energy supplies as his country moves to quickly end its reliance on Russian oil and gas. At a joint news conference in Montreal on the first full day of his three-day visit, Scholz said Germany is rushing construction of liquid natural gas (LNG) ports infrastructure and pipelines to boost imports and […]

Germany to turn thermostat down as gas shortage looms

  Frankfurt, Germany | AFP | Germany will limit heating in public buildings over the winter to save on gas as Russia throttles supplies to Europe, Economy Minister Robert Habeck said on Friday. “Public properties — with the exception of hospitals and other parts of the social system, of course — will only be heated to 19 degrees Celsius (66 degrees Fahrenheit)”, Habeck told the daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung in an interview. Public buildings and monuments […]

Scholz opens door to extend nuclear as Russia squeezes gas supply

by Yann SCHREIBER with Sebastien ASH in Frankfurt Agence France-Presse MÜLHEIM AN DER RUHR, Germany (AFP) — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday raised the possibility of keeping nuclear plants going as he accused Russia of blocking the delivery of a key turbine to throttle gas supplies to Europe. The continent’s biggest economy has been scrambling for energy sources to fill a gap left by a reduction in gas supplies from Moscow. Standing next to […]

Russian Nord Stream gas pipeline restarted after maintenance: operator

BERLIN, Germany (AFP) — The Nord Stream gas pipeline linking Russia to Germany restarted on Thursday after 10 days of maintenance work, its operator told AFP. “It’s working,” a Nord Stream spokesman said, without specifying the amount of gas being delivered. The German government had feared the pipeline would not be reopened by Moscow after the scheduled work. According to data given by Russia’s state-owned energy giant Gazprom to Gascade, the German operator of the […]