#Germany

#Germany

Hundreds of Afghans previously promised sanctuary in Germany have been told they are no longer welcome, in a stark U-turn by the conservative chancellor, Friedrich Merz. The 640 people in Pakistan awaiting resettlement many of whom worked for the German military during the US invasion and occupation of Afghanistan will no longer be taken in, as Merz's government axes two programmes introduced by its centre-left-led predecessor.

Germany's BKA federal investigative police force published its data on migrant crime statistics for 2024. It said that of 1.967 million known criminal suspects in 2024, 172,203 were temporary migrants like asylum seekers, people granted asylum or other temporary rights to reside, or people in the country illegally. That equates to 8.8% of the total, an almost identical share to the 8.9% recorded in 2023.

Three men go on trial in Germany on Tuesday, accused of tailing a former Ukrainian soldier on behalf of Russian intelligence services for a possible assassination plot. The alleged ringleader, an Armenian partially identified as Vardges I., recruited another Ukrainian, Robert A., and a Russian, Arman S., prosecutors charge. The trio allegedly tried to lure the former Ukrainian soldier to a Frankfurt café last year, but the alleged target became suspicious and contacted police.

"The state is giving up revenue, but passengers will not see any of the tax reduction," Wissel predicted in an interview with DW. Although airlines would save around 15 ($17.5) per ticket potentially up to 50 in certain fare classes dynamic pricing systems mean those savings are unlikely to show up on customers' bills, he said.

Germany, the record eight-time winners of the Euros, beat off competition from Poland and a joint Sweden-Denmark bid, and will host the tournament for the third time, just five years after doing so for the men's Euros. It is a measure of compensation for Germany, who missed out on hosting the 2027 women's World Cup when FIFA picked Brazil instead. In its bid, Germany had vowed to help women's football realise it's "enormous potential".

We can be very, very proud,

This is according to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) on the 100 most important arms manufacturers worldwide. Their revenues from the sale of weapons and military services amounted to $679 billion (582 billion) last year. This represents an inflation-adjusted increase of 5.9% compared to 2023. Even then, increasing geopolitical tensions and, above all, the war in Ukraine had led to increased demand for arms. In 2024, this trend accelerated even further.

Homelessness in Germany has reached alarming levels, with over half a million people lacking permanent accommodation as of early 2025. The crisis affects men and women of all ages, with families and young people increasingly at risk. As winter intensifies the dangers faced by those without shelter, we look at how residents in Germany can support some of the social welfare organisations working to alleviate homelessness.

"That means that 15 women are affected by intimate partner violence every hour in Germany," said Family Minister Karin Prien. Suspects in domestic violence last year were 75.6 percent male and 24.4 percent female, according to the BKA. Prien noted that the official statistics do not include unreported cases, which may dwarf the official figures. Ongoing research involving victims has shown that as few as five percent of all incidents of intimate partner violence are reported to authorities, according to the BKA.

We played really well, leaving nothing to chance from the first second to the last,

Anyone visiting farmer Henning Voigt's operation near Germany's Baltic Sea coast stands a good chance of getting their feet wet. About 25 years ago, his father began rewetting a once-drained peatland. "We've been an organic farm since 1996 and currently manage 350 hectares (864 acres) of grassland. Most of it is very wet," Voigt says. Speaking with DW, Voigt explains that the hay they harvest from these wet fields is burned in a power plant to produce district heating.

"to kill a large number of people"

Bundestag President Julia Klockner has restarted debate on Germany's prostitution laws, which are seen as relatively lax. Klockner and federal Health Minister Nina Warken both said that Germany has a reputation for being the "brothel of Europe," something they both want to change. Both the buying and selling of sex are legal in Germany in regulated brothels. Both women have suggested Germany instead follow the "Nordic model",