Germany

13 Sep 2022; MEMO: A Jewish group in Germany has filed criminal charges against Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and Defence Minister Benny Gantz for alleged war crimes committed in the besieged Gaza Strip in August.

BERLIN, Sept 13 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call on Tuesday to find a diplomatic solution for the conflict in Ukraine based on a ceasefire and the complete withdrawal of Russian troops as soon as possible, a German government spokesperson said.

In the 90-minute call, Scholz emphasized the need to ensure the safety of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine and appealed to Putin to continue to fully implement the United Nations-backed grain agreement, spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit added.

BERLIN, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Germany's economy minister said on Tuesday the government was working on a new trade policy with China to reduce dependence on Chinese raw materials, batteries and semiconductors, promising "no more naivety" in trade dealings with Beijing.

Sources told Reuters last week the economy ministry was considering a raft of new measures to make business with China less attractive. This is the first time the minister has made clear the tougher line was being translated into policy measures. 

BERLIN, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Germany is in talks to buy the Arrow 3 missile defence system from Israel as part of Berlin's efforts to strengthen its armed forces after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said on a visit to the German capital on Monday.

Germany has ramped up its military spending after Russia sent troops into Ukraine in February, while shipping aid and heavy weapons to Kyiv as part of an international response.

BERLIN, Sept 12 (Reuters) - German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht on Monday again rejected demands to supply Kyiv with main battle tanks.

"No country has delivered Western-built infantry fighting vehicles or main battle tanks so far," she said in Berlin.

"We have agreed with our partners that Germany will not take such action unilaterally."

BERLIN, September 10. /TASS/: German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock arrived in Kiev Saturday, according to a report by DPA. This is her second visit since the beginning of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine.

According to the report, the Minister’s visit aims to show that "Germany will continue supporting Ukraine for as long as it takes - by shipping weapons, humanitarian and financial aid."

Baerbock intends to hold negotiations with her Ukrainian counterpart Dmitry Kuleba. The rest of her schedule is kept secret due to security concerns, DPA report says.

09 Sep 2022; MEMO: Germany's international broadcaster, Deutsche Welle (DW) has adopted a new code of conduct which threatens staff with dismissal if they question Israel's right to exist. Israel is mentioned twice when referring to the company's commitments against racism and anti-Semitism. No other country, political or national group is mentioned in the same way as the Apartheid State.

FRANKFURT, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- The European Central Bank (ECB) on Thursday raised key interest rates by a record 75 basis points in a bid to rein in inflation in the euro area.

The move is a sign that the ECB is delivering on its promise to go big on fighting the spiraling inflation, according to analysts.

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BERLIN, September 8. /TASS/: The European Union may face recession in the wake of record-high gas prices, as the coming winter is likely to be "one of the worst in history," EU Commissioner for Economy Paolo Gentiloni said in an interview with Der Spiegel on Thursday.

"No one can rule that out. The current inflation will throw our economy into turmoil, and the coming winter could be one of the worst in history. We are experiencing unprecedented uncertainty. But the figures for the EU economy as a whole are still positive, and the situation on the labor market is good," he said.

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany Sept 8 (Reuters) - Ukraine has struck over 400 Russian targets with U.S.-supplied HIMARS rocket systems, General Mark Milley, the Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Thursday.