TheNewsGuru

Tag: Germany

  • Germany stumble in shocking World Cup qualifier

    Germany stumble in shocking World Cup qualifier

    Slovakia became the first home side ever to defeat Germany in a FIFA World Cup qualifier (WCQ), with a stunning 2-0 victory in Bratislava getting the Falcons’ bid to attend just a second World Cup as an independent nation off to the perfect start.

    Germany boasted an incredible historical record in WCQ matches – particularly when on the road – but that didn’t faze the hosts, who started with purpose and only improved from there.

    Not content to allow Julian Nagelsmann’s side to control things, they were particularly effective down the left, where Leo Sauer was causing havoc and called new Germany number one Oliver Baumann into saves on two occasions. The Feyenoord youngster was also unfortunate to see Jonathan Tah block his shot after he got the better of Antonio Rudiger.

    Florian Wirtz responded by working his way into the area and attempting to roll inside the near post, but Martin Dubravka saved and kick-started a barnstorming end to the half for Slovakia.

    Sauer repeatedly had the beating of debutant Nnamdi Collins, but it was David Hancko who stormed forward, played it out to David Strelec and received it back to finish emphatically inside Baumann’s near post for the opener.

    Slovakia might have lost on the previous three occasions that Hancko had scored for his country, but their momentum continued after the restart and soon yielded a remarkable two-goal cushion. Strelec’s first attempt of the half was saved, but Baumann could do nothing about his left-footed curler which nestled into the top corner just a couple of minutes later.

    Despite making changes in response, the visitors still couldn’t break down what was a spirited Slovakia rearguard, and only long-range efforts promised any sort of comeback as time ran out.

    Slovakia thus make history as just the fourth side to beat Germany in their 105 historical WCQ matches, and the first to take any points off Die Nationalelf in their last 18 such outings on their travels.

    The hopes of Francesco Calzona’s men to qualify for a first World Cup since 2010 increase dramatically as a result, and the remainder of Germany’s campaign might need to be perfect if they are to top Group A as expected.

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  • Germany announces partial suspension of military exports to Israel

    Germany announces partial suspension of military exports to Israel

    German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Friday announced the suspension of exports of military equipment to Israel that could be used in the Gaza Strip.

    The German Government made the announcement following the Israeli government’s decision to expand operations in the coastal territory.

    Merz said in a statement that “the German Government remains deeply concerned about the ongoing suffering of the civilian population in the Gaza Strip.

    “With the planned offensive, the Israeli Government bears even greater responsibility than before.”

    The chancellor said that the overnight move taken by Israel’s Security Cabinet made it increasingly difficult to achieve Israel’s goals, such as the release of hostages, a ceasefire and the disarmament of the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

    Germany has been one of Israel’s strongest supporters since the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks.

    Berlin had repeatedly blocked EU initiatives to sanction Israel over the desperate humanitarian situation in Gaza.

  • Germany to crack down on illicit work, tax evasion

    Germany to crack down on illicit work, tax evasion

    German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil is planning reforms to intensify the crackdown on illegal work and tax evasion in a bid to increase state revenue, his ministry said on Tuesday.

    Tax evasion and undeclared work are to be fought with the utmost vigour, the ministry said.

    A bill designed to strengthen checks is set to be introduced in the Cabinet on Wednesday, it said.

    The legislation intends to enable the existing supervisory body to take more effective action against serious economic and organised crime.

    Klingbeil is also looking to improve data exchange between relevant authorities.

    The crackdown is set to focus in particular on employers who profit from illicit employment and violate minimum wage regulations, while exploiting workers and damaging the welfare state.

    Auditors are to take a close look at subcontractors, particularly in the construction sector, while reducing the number of checks for firms playing by the rules, it said.

    Meanwhile, investigators will be asked to scrutinise new sectors known to be hotspots for illicit employment, more specifically the hair dressing and beauty industry, including nail spas, according to government sources.

    In the future, employees in those sectors will be required to carry an ID at work and present it upon request during checks.

    A regulation had already been applied in the construction and catering sectors, for example.

    Employers would be required to immediately report new hires to the pension insurance authority.

    While hopes are that the changes would improve working conditions for employees in a range of sectors.

    The legislation also intended to generate some 2 billion euros (2.3 billion dollars) in additional revenue for the federal government, federal states, and social security funds by 2029, according to the ministry.

  • Iran among ‘worst rogue states in the world’ – German minister

    Iran among ‘worst rogue states in the world’ – German minister

    Iran is “one of the worst rogue states in the world,” German Education Minister Karin Prien said on Tuesday.

    Tehran “has explicitly and repeatedly threatened Israel’s right to exist for decades and does not recognise Israel,” Prien said in Berlin.

    “And if it really is the case that Iran now has a nuclear weapons capability or is very close to it, then Israel naturally has a right to self-defence.”

    Prien, the deputy chairwoman of the centre-right Christian Democratic Union, is the first openly Jewish female minister in German history.

    She has recently given several interviews on the subject of her family history.

    She said she hoped Iran’s capabilities could be reduced very quickly so that the threat to Israel and the entire world from a “criminal system” would soon come to an end.

    Prien made the comments on the sidelines of an event on early childhood education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

    Germany is one of Israel’s closest allies in Europe.

    Berlin has voiced support for the Israeli government amid the escalating conflict with Iran.

  • First-time ballboy helps Germany reach Nations League semis

    First-time ballboy helps Germany reach Nations League semis

    A first-time ballboy was an unlikely hero in Germany’s 3-3 draw with Italy as he played a major part in the team reaching the Nations League semi-finals on Sunday.

    Fifteen-year-old Noel Urbaniak was positioned near the corner flag when Germany were awarded a corner in the 36th minute after Italy goalkeeper had Gianluigi Donnarumma tipped a Tim Kleindienst header over the bar.

    Donnarumma walked out of his goalmouth to argue together with team-mates. Urbaniak quickly threw the ball to captain Joshua Kimmich who fed Jamal Musiala at the near post to score into the empty net as the Italians sensed the danger too late.

    The clever goal for a temporary 2-0 lead brought back memories of the 2019 Champions league match between Liverpool and Barcelona where a similarly quickly executed corner kick from Trent Alexander-Arnold to Divock Origi for 4-0 had seen Liverpool advance.

    Kimmich praised Urbaniak for his quick reaction and gave him a ball post-match signed “for Joel” and with his autograph, and sporting director Rudi Völler promised Urbaniak a free ticket for the next national team game.

    Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann spoke of “absolute world class from all three of them” – Kimmich, Musiala and Urbaniak.

    “I had eye contact with Kimmich and saw that he needed the ball and I immediately threw the ball to him and then the goal happened. I was enormously happy,” Urbaniak told broadcasters RTL.

    Urbaniak said he has never experienced this before because “it was my first time as a ballboy. It feels really good.”

    Asked what Kimmich told him, Urbaniak said: “He said thank you that you set me up for the goal.”

    Kimmich said: “The ballboy was really alert. He did a good job.

    “We reacted very quickly and luckily made the 2-0. Some of our team-mates didn’t even realise that the ball was in the net. It happened very quickly,” Kimmich said.

    Former Germany captain and TV pundit Lothar Matthäus said during the broadcast: “I have never seen a goal like this before.

  • Germany to send 60 IRIS-T guided missiles to Ukraine

    Germany to send 60 IRIS-T guided missiles to Ukraine

    Germany said it was set to deliver an additional 60 IRIS-T guided missiles to Ukraine to bolster its air-defence capabilities against Russian attacks, dpa learnt on Wednesday.

    The 60 million euros (61.8 million dollars) delivery is to be drawn from the stocks of Germany’s Armed Forces, or Bundeswehr.

    The decision followed German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius’s visit to Kiev, where he held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday.

    The defence minister assured Zelensky of Germany’s continued support following the upcoming parliamentary elections on Feb. 23.

    Pistorius also said he hoped that Germany would find a way to provide an additional 3 billion euros to Ukraine.

    Negotiations on the aid are ongoing as Germany is currently without a fixed budget for 2025 after the collapse of the three-way government coalition, which triggered the upcoming election.

    “This is just a fiscal problem of the government we have to solve. And we are working on that,’’ he said.

    He added that he was optimistic that a solution would be found.

  • Couple in search of girl child kills refugees to steal newborn

    Couple in search of girl child kills refugees to steal newborn

    A German couple on Tuesday confessed to killing a Ukrainian refugee and her mother in March 2024 in order to steal her baby.

    On the first day of the trial at Mannheim District Court, the two defendants admitted to killing the 27-year-old Ukrainian and her 51-year-old mother.

    “I regret everything I have done,” the man said in a statement read out by lawyers. His wife added, “I made a big mistake.”

    According to the public prosecutor’s office, the couples have four children, including one son together.

    After suffering a number of miscarriages and failed fertility treatment, they planned to kidnap a newborn girl and pass her off as their daughter.

    “We really wanted to have a daughter together, that was my wife’s most fervent wish,” the man said on Tuesday.

    The couple intentionally targeted refugees from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, joining a group on Telegram to offer help with translation.

    The 27-year-old Ukrainian was living with her mother and baby in refugee accommodation in the south-western German town of Wiesloch when she came into contact with the couple.

    On March 6, 2024, they allegedly sedated the two women in a restaurant before the man killed the two women with a blunt object in two separate locations.

    They also sank the grandmother’s body in a lake and burnt the mother’s body before driving home with the baby.

    The body of the 27-year-old woman was discovered by a passer-by on the banks of the Rhine the next day, with police arresting the couple and found the baby on March 13.

    The couple has since been in custody, while the baby has returned to Ukraine in the custody of her aunt, who is a plaintiff in the case.

    The aunt’s lawyer has already announced that he will apply for life imprisonment for the couple, who have been charged with murder and kidnapping.

    A total of nine trial days have been scheduled for the proceedings, with a verdict expected to be announced on 21.

  • German president dissolves parliament

    German president dissolves parliament

    German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Friday dissolved the Bundestag, the lower house of parliament, paving the way for early federal elections.

    Steinmeier announced comes after Chancellor Olaf Scholz lost a vote of confidence in the Bundestag on Dec. 16. Scholz recommended the Bundestag’s dissolution after the confidence vote.

    In November, Scholz lost the majority in the parliament after Finance Minister Christian Lindner and other ministers from the Free Democratic Party left the ruling coalition due to lasting disagreements over tax allocation, economic stimulus measures, and investment funding.

    On Friday, Steinmeier stressed that a capable government with a reliable parliamentary majority is needed during these challenging times. He said that new elections are the appropriate course of action for the country’s benefit.

    Highlighting the challenges such as economic uncertainties, regional conflicts, immigration issues, and climate change, the president urged politicians to focus on finding solutions to these pressing matters.

    Under Germany’s Basic Law, the president can dissolve the parliament at the request of the chancellor, following a failed vote of confidence.

    A recent public opinion survey showed declining support for Scholz’s Social Democratic Party.

    According to this Monday’s RTL/ntv trend barometer conducted by the Forsa Institute, the conservative union of CDU/CSU has gained one percentage point in approval rating from a week earlier, reaching 31 percent support.

    The far-right AfD remains in second place with 19 per cent support. However, the ruling Social Democratic Party has dropped one point to 16 per cent.

  • Barca threaten Bayern Munich plans for Tah

    Barca threaten Bayern Munich plans for Tah

    Barcelona are watching Jonathan Tah’s situation at Bayer Leverkusen.

    The Germany defender’s deal is due to expire at the end of the season.

    Sky Deutschland’s Florian Plettenberg reports the centre-back still stands by his decision to leave as a Bosman next summer.

    Bayern Munich are still interested in the 28-year-old. But there are also other options.

    Among rivals are Barcelona and clubs in the English Premier League.

    Tah has previously also been linked with Liverpool.

    Tribalfootball

  • Iran risks setting entire region on fire, Germany’s Scholz says

    Iran risks setting entire region on fire, Germany’s Scholz says

    German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has warned of a further escalation in the Middle East, after Iran fired a barrage of missiles at Israel.

    “Iran is risking setting the entire region on fire: This must be prevented at all costs,’’ the German leader was quoted as saying in a statement published on Wednesday.

    Scholz noted that it was only thanks to Israel’s air defence and allies that the Iranian attack on Tuesday evening had been largely repelled.

    Scholz called for the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon and Tehran to immediately cease their attacks on Israel.

    The German Government would continue to work together with its partners to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, Scholz said.

    A halt in fighting must be the first step in implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which stipulates that Hezbollah must withdraw from the border area with Israel, Scholz said.

    “This will pave the way for the return of people to northern Israel and at the same time open up the prospect of consolidating Lebanon’s statehood.’’ (