Germany

MUNICH, Germany, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here Friday that China is willing to continuously strengthen dialogue and cooperation with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on the basis of equality and mutual respect.

Wang made the remarks during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on the sidelines of the 56th Munich Security Conference.

BERLIN (AP) — German authorities say one person has been killed and three others injured following a shooting late Friday outside a Berlin music venue.

Police in the German capital said Saturday that unknown people opened fire outside the Tempodrom, located near Potsdamer Platz in the center of the city.

The suspects were able to flee.

It was unclear whether the shooting was linked to the event being staged inside the venue Friday night, a Turkish comedy night.

Berlin has one of the highest number of killings per person among European capitals.

MUNICH (AP) — The United States and the Taliban have agreed to a temporary truce that, if successful, would open the way for a deal that would bring American troops home from Afghanistan and end 18 years of war.

The peace deal would call for negotiations between Afghans on both sides of the conflict to start next month, an eventual countrywide cease-fire and a commitment from the Taliban not to harbor terrorist groups like al Qaida, while setting a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops.

BERLIN (Reuters) - The EU and Britain have a shared interest in retaining close security ties after Brexit, Germany’s defense minister told Reuters in an interview.

Speaking ahead of the annual Munich Security Conference, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, a close ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel and leader of their ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, said she wanted to keep Britain in the ‘E3’ group, which also includes Germany and France.

13 February 2020; AFP: Germany will mark 75 years since the destruction of Dresden in World War II on Thursday, with the far right seeking to inflate victim numbers and play down Nazi crimes.

President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will give a speech at Dresden's Palace of Culture, walking a fine line between remembering those killed in the Allied air raids on the eastern city and stressing Germany's responsibility for the war.

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany’s Social Democrats (SPD) signaled on Wednesday they could quit their coalition with Angela Merkel’s conservatives if she is forced out as chancellor, piling pressure on their partners to avoid a snap election as they pick a new leader.

After Merkel’s protegee Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer gave up her ambitions for the top job on Monday, the Christian Democrats (CDU) are embarking on choosing a new leader and chancellor candidate for the next federal election due by Oct. 2021.

BERLIN, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, head of the German ruling party Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has announced that she will not run for chancellor in the 2021 general election and will step down as the conservative party chair.

LONDON, Feb 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Hundreds of flights and train services were cancelled across northwest Europe as Storm Ciara swept in packing powerful winds after lashing Britain and Ireland, where tens of thousands of homes were left without power.

Swathes of northern France were placed on orange alert with people advised to avoid the coast due to possible storm surges.

Britain, which bore the brunt of the storm Sunday with widespread flooding across the north of the country, remained on alert with the Meteorological Office warning of strong winds, heavy rain and snow.

BERLIN, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- The upcoming 56th Munich Security Conference (MSC) will discuss a theme coined as "westlessness", the loss of the common standing of what it means to be part of the West, according to a report published on Monday.

The Munich Security Report, which is published annually ahead of the MSC, sets the tone for the conference that is known as the "Davos" in global security and political issues. This year's MSC will be convened from Friday to Sunday this week.

BERLIN, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Hurricane-force winds and heavy rain swept over Germany and caused severe disruptions to road, rail and air traffic over the past two days.

Germany's National Meteorological Service issued the second highest weather warning level for most parts of Germany on Sunday. Large sporting events were cancelled and many schools remained closed on Monday as a precautionary measure.

The cathedral in Frankfurt was damaged when the jib of a building crane buckled and crashed into the roof of the cathedral.