Germany edition

Nato

The following articles have been tagged with "Nato":

What's on in Germany: February 9 - 15

Society: 9 Feb 12
This Week's Highlights: The star-studded Berlinale film festival kicks off in Berlin, Munch goes on view in Frankfurt, and a ukelele orchestra sets up in Munich. READ »

Former spy boss moves to Deutsche Bank

Business & Money: 6 Feb 12
Ernst Uhrlau, former head of Germany’s foreign intelligence agency the BND, has been on the payroll of Germany’s biggest bank since the start of February, just two months after his retirement. READ »

Ramstein to host NATO missile shield command

National: 2 Feb 12
NATO will locate the command centre for its missile shield at the US airbase Ramstein in Germany, a base spokesman confirmed on Thursday. READ »

UN envoy urges more action on Syria

Politics: 19 Jan 12
German's UN envoy has accused Russia of preventing the UN Security Council from taking decisive action over the deadly crackdown on anti regime protests in Syria. READ »

German support for new North Africa underlined

Politics: 10 Jan 12
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle has thrown strong support behind North Africa’s emerging democracies during an historic visit to Algeria, Libya and Tunisia, saying Germany wants to play a key role in helping them succeed. READ »

Afghanistan troop withdrawl to begin in Jan

National: 17 Dec 11
The withdrawl of German troops from Afghanistan will not take place before Christmas and won’t be accompanied by a celebration, according to German Defence Minister Thomas de Maizière. READ »

Berlin hails 'turning point' in Afghan war

National: 15 Dec 11
During a Bundestag debate on the German army’s future mission in Afghanistan Thursday, Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said a planned draw-down of troops heralded a “turning point” in the ten-year NATO-led war in Afghanistan. READ »

Beating the holiday bag blues at Frankfurt Airport

Lifestyle: 14 Dec 11
Long lines and lost luggage make travelling during the holidays as much fun as an eggnog hangover. Caitlan Carroll spoke with the experts at Frankfurt Airport to ensure you’ll at least arrive at your destination with your bag. READ »

Allotment gardeners told to prune racial quotas

Society: 7 Dec 11
A group of allotment owners in northern Germany have been told to turn over a new leaf after they set a limit on how many people with foreign roots should be allowed to join their garden community. READ »

Celebrating Nikolaus before Christmas

Society: 6 Dec 11
Each December 6, German children celebrate Nikolaus. Why does the Santa look-alike come so early and why do all the children place their shoes outside on the evening before? The Local has the lowdown. READ »

Afghan conference starts in Bonn without Pakistan

National: 5 Dec 11
The Bonn conference on Afghanistan to seek a way forward after the withdrawal of NATO combat troops in 2014 brought around 100 national delegations and aid organisations together on Monday. READ »

Karzai slams Pakistan for boycotting Bonn talks

National: 4 Dec 11
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has accused Pakistan of undermining negotiations with the ban by boycotting an international conference on Afghanistan starting Monday in Bonn. READ »

Merkel 'sorry' Pakistan to boycott Afghan meeting

Politics: 29 Nov 11
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday she was "very sorry" about Pakistan's announced boycott of a Bonn conference next week on the future of Afghanistan and would try to convince it to attend. READ »

Germany backs peace talks with the Taliban

National: 27 Nov 11
Germany's foreign and defence ministers called Sunday for the Taliban to be included in Afghanistan peace talks, ahead of a major international conference for the war-ravaged country next month. READ »

Bayern book berth in Champions League knock-out round

Sport: 23 Nov 11
France winger Franck Ribéry scored twice as Bayern Munich booked their place in the Champions League's knock-out phase with a 3-1 win over Villarreal on Tuesday. READ »

Westerwelle prepares for Afghan conference

Politics: 19 Nov 11
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle was in Kabul on Saturday for talks with President Hamid Karzai before a key international conference in Bonn on Afghanistan's future. READ »

Deutsche Börse to sell derivatives businesses

Business & Money: 18 Nov 11
Stock market operators NYSE Euronext and Deutsche Börse said Friday they would sell parts of their derivatives activities in a bid to gain approval from EU Commission for their merger. READ »

City of Berlin gets 'grand coalition' government

Politics: 16 Nov 11
A left-right coalition is taking shape in the city state of Berlin, after the Social Democrats and the Christian Democrats agreed to form a government in Germany's capital on Wednesday. READ »

Afghanistan to see German troop drawdown

National: 11 Nov 11
The German government plans to reduce the number of Bundeswehr soldiers deployed in Afghanistan by 1,000 in the coming year, according to a letter sent to Bundestag parliamentarians by the Foreign and Defence ministries. READ »

Bundesbank gold location kept secret

Business & Money: 8 Nov 11
As pressure grows for Germany to tap its gold reserves amid the European sovereign debt crisis, the Bundesbank is refusing to end its silence on where its more than 3,000 tonnes of the precious metal is stored. READ »

Bayern stay on top with battling win

Sport: 7 Nov 11
Ten-man Bayern Munich went five points clear again at the top of the German league on Sunday as striker Mario Gomez scored his 20th goal of the season in a 2-1 win at bottom side Augsburg. READ »

German diplomat falls for alleged Russian secret agent

Society: 6 Nov 11
A German diplomat apparently revealed sensitive information about NATO and visiting US politicians in a string of emails and texts sent to a young Russian woman – actually a secret agent, according to a magazine report. READ »

Nails on chalkboard noise mystery solved

Science & Technology: 4 Nov 11
A team of German and Austrian scientists say they’ve identified why the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard is so annoying. It’s a combination of the shape of the ear canal and the power of suggestion. READ »

NATO leader praises German role in Libya

Politics: 2 Nov 11
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has praised Germany’s role in the transatlantic alliance’s military operation in Libya, even though the German government refused to support it at the United Nations. READ »

Vattenfall to contest nuclear phaseout

Business & Money: 2 Nov 11
Swedish energy giant Vattenfall is reportedly preparing to take the German government to the Washington-based International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes over the closure of its nuclear power plants. READ »

Germany offers help finding Libyan weapons

National: 1 Nov 11
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle has offered to help Libya follow a United Nations resolution ratified on Monday that obliges the country’s new government to control and destroy small arms and chemical weapons. READ »

Qaddafi son's Munich mansion in limbo

Society: 1 Nov 11
A mansion formerly lived in by Muammar Qaddafi youngest son, killed in April, is in limbo in Munich, partly because his eccentric revamp of the interior could make the luxury property difficult to sell. READ »

Germans with Turkish heritage will replace Turks - a success story

National: 30 Oct 11
It was 50 years ago on Sunday since the “guest worker” agreement between Germany and Turkey which changed Germany forever. Ahmet Külahci, Berlin correspondent for Turkish newspaper Hürriyet writes of his optimism. READ »

Schlecker man insults customers' intelligence

Society: 27 Oct 11
German drugstore Schlecker is trying to stem a public relations disaster after a spokesman said a derided advertising slogan had been chosen to fit the chain’s poorly educated customers. READ »

CIA spied on allied BND

National: 24 Oct 11
American spies have been keeping tabs on their Teutonic counterparts for decades – not only the East Germans of the Cold War, but also allied West Germans, according to newly released documents. READ »

BND reportedly knew Qaddafi's hiding place

National: 23 Oct 11
The German intelligence service knew where ousted Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi was hiding out weeks before he was tracked down by Libyan rebel forces, according to a Sunday news item. The BND denied the report. READ »

Berlin welcomes departure of Qaddafi

Politics: 21 Oct 11
The death of Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi and the accompanying hope that the country could now begin a new era, has been welcomed by German politicians – although many regretted the fact that he will never now face justice. READ »

Germany disappointed as UN fails to censure Syria

National: 5 Oct 11
Germany on Wednesday lamented the failure of the United Nations Security Council to agree a resolution on a bloody crackdown in Syria that has left 2,700 dead, saying it had undermined the body's authority. READ »

Crime claims against Qaddafi son were ignored

Politics: 2 Oct 11
German officials buried numerous criminal allegations against ousted Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi's son Saif al-Arab for fear of damaging bilateral ties, the weekly Der Spiegel reported at the weekend. READ »

War crimes witness found dead in Germany

National: 28 Sep 11
A key witness in a war crimes case against a senior Kosovo figure has been found dead in Germany, the EU rule of law mission in Kosovo (EULEX) said Wednesday. READ »

Reopened embassy signals new era in German-Libyan relations

National: 27 Sep 11
Germany has reopened its embassy in Tripoli in what is being seen as a symbolic measure to signal the country’s desire to help rebuild Libya. READ »

Abuse victims meeting leaves Pope 'shamed'

Society: 24 Sep 11
Pope Benedict XVI met victims of sexual abuse by clergy on Friday, an encounter that left him "deeply shaken", Vatican officials said. READ »

Joy, protests and apathy await pope in Germany

National: 22 Sep 11
Pope Benedict XVI's first state visit to his German homeland begins in Berlin Thursday with the threat of angry protests and the lingering taint of Church sexual abuse scandals set to cloud his welcome. READ »

Rumours fly that Berlusconi insulted Merkel's figure on phone

Politics: 15 Sep 11
Italy's gaffe-prone Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi appears to have insulted German Chancellor Angela Merkel using a vulgar phrase about her figure during a recent phone call. READ »

100 Germans involved in NATO Libya mission

National: 10 Sep 11
More than 100 German soldiers took part in NATO’s Libya operation, 10 times more than previously thought, the government has admitted. READ »

Police thwart terror plot

National: 8 Sep 11
Police on Thursday arrested two men in Berlin for acquiring chemicals amid suspicions they were planning a terrorist bomb attack. READ »

Obama gets top feedback from Germans

Society: 7 Sep 11
A new pan-European survey has found that Germans see US President Barack Obama and American foreign policy more positively than most EU citizens. READ »

Obama 'very pleased' with German role in Libya

National: 6 Sep 11
After several months of strife between the United States and Germany over its Libya policies, an advisor to US President Barack Obama said Germany had been more involved in the NATO air campaign than widely thought. READ »

Friedrich: 1,000 potential terrorists in Germany

National: 5 Sep 11
Around 1,000 potential Islamist terrorists live in Germany, 128 of whom could be classed as capable of carrying out attacks, Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich said Monday. READ »

Qaddafi's spy service had ties to German intelligence

National: 4 Sep 11
Germany was one of a number of Western nations that received intelligence from Libya under long-time leader Muammar Qaddafi. But a former official said Berlin never engaged in joint operations with Qaddafi's spy service. READ »

Germany's foreign policy zombie

Analysis & Opinion: 2 Sep 11
Unloved, ineffective and on his political deathbed, Guido Westerwelle has become a foreign policy liability for Germany, writes The Local's Marc Young. READ »

Niebel: Libya doesn't need more aid

National: 2 Sep 11
German Development Minister Dirk Niebel has ruled out handing out any more development aid for Libya, saying there was no need. READ »

Germany greets new Libyan ambassador

National: 1 Sep 11
Germany said Wednesday that it had recognized a new Libyan ambassador from the National Transitional Council opposed to Muammar Qaddafi. READ »

Frankfurt man confesses to killing US airmen

National: 31 Aug 11
A 21-year-old man from Kosovo apologised in court Wednesday for killing two US soldiers at Frankfurt Airport as they headed to Afghanistan, saying he had been influenced by Islamist propaganda. READ »

Berlin resets Libya policy

Politics: 29 Aug 11
Germany sought to turn a new leaf on Monday by stressing its readiness to help with reconstruction and aid in Libya after failing to provide military assistance to the campaign against Muammar Qaddafi. READ »

FDP leadership backs beleaguered Westerwelle

Politics: 28 Aug 11
Guido Westerwelle’s Free Democratic Party is sticking with him, despite speculation that the party wanted to replace Germany's beleaguered foreign minister. READ »

Merkel praises NATO for Libya campaign

National: 27 Aug 11
Chancellor Angela Merkel has defended Germany’s decision not to participate in NATO's military campaign in Libya, but praised Berlin's allies for helping oust dictator Muammar Qaddafi. READ »

Defence officials split over troops for Libya

National: 26 Aug 11
Defence Ministry officials gave conflicting views Friday about whether Germany will need to take part in a peacekeeping mission to stabilize Libya after fighting ends. There was also rare German praise for the NATO effort against Qaddafi. READ »

Mountain climbers go missing in Afghanistan

National: 23 Aug 11
Fears are growing that two German men who went missing several days ago after setting off to climb snow-capped mountains in war-torn Afghanistan could have been kidnapped, officials said Tuesday. READ »

Media roundup: Libya after Qaddafi

Analysis & Opinion: 23 Aug 11
As the end of Libyan despot Muammar Qaddafi's reign nears, commentators in The Local’s media roundup examine what’s next for the North African country and the impact of Germany’s decision to break with its NATO allies. READ »

Westerwelle plays down engagement in Libya

National: 23 Aug 11
Although Germany is eager to help Libya after the ousting of dictator Muammar Qaddafi, discussion of any potential engagement in the North African country is premature, said Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle on Monday evening. READ »

Berlin mulls troops for post-Qaddafi Libya

National: 22 Aug 11
As the regime of Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi teetered on the brink Monday, German Defence Minister Thomas de Maizière said Bundeswehr troops could soon help secure the peace in the North African nation. READ »

Greens MP says involvement in NATO Libya mission illegal

National: 19 Aug 11
Defence Minister Thomas de Maizière has dismissed criticism from the opposition Green party that the indirect participation of German soldiers in NATO attacks on Libya needed parliamentary approval. READ »

Campaign aims to get foreigners the vote

Politics: 17 Aug 11
Voting activists have launched a campaign to try to get non-Germans involved in the country's elections, with a shadow poll to be held in Berlin ahead of a state election in the capital in September. READ »

Interior Ministry to probe ban of far-right NPD

Politics: 5 Aug 11
Discussions surrounding a possible ban of Germany's neo-Nazi National Democratic Party (NPD) have taken a major step forward after the Interior Ministry agreed to participate in a working group to look into the matter. READ »

Taliban target German security firm in Kunduz

National: 2 Aug 11
A suicide bomber and two gunmen have attacked the office of a German security firm protecting aid workers in the Afghanistan city of Kunduz, in a co-ordinated assault that left at least six people dead. READ »

Cologne food fair foie gras snub angers French officials

Society: 29 Jul 11
A dispute over foie gras has reached the highest levels of Franco-German ties after a Cologne food fair said the controversial French delicacy will not be allowed. READ »

Sphinx returned to Turkey after controversy

National: 29 Jul 11
Germany has returned a 3,500-year-old sphinx to Turkey after a war of words and the treasured sculpture is set to be reinstated at its original location, media reports said Thursday. READ »

African famine blamed on Chinese land grab

National: 28 Jul 11
Germany's Africa policy coordinator on Thursday blamed China's practice of buying up land in the Horn of Africa for contributing to the devastating famine ravaging the region. READ »

Germans court Syrian uprising amid crackdown

Politics: 25 Jul 11
German diplomats have met with Syrian opposition figures in Damascus and Berlin in recent weeks as the EU demands an end to a crackdown on protesters, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said Monday. READ »

Germany offers to loan Libyan rebels €100 mln

Politics: 24 Jul 11
Germany said Sunday it was making available to the Libyan rebel National Transitional Council (NTC) up to €100 million ($144 million) in loans for civilian and humanitarian purposes. READ »

De Maizière promises to equip soldiers better

National: 17 Jul 11
Reacting to a parliamentary report that German soldiers in Afghanistan are being endangered by a shortage of equipment, Defence Minister Thomas de Maizière promised that problems would be addressed immediately. READ »

Arms deals raise human rights questions

National: 14 Jul 11
Arms deals with Saudi Arabia and Angola have sparked outrage in Germany and highlighted the country's emergence as the world's third-largest weapons exporter. But is Berlin guilty of hypocrisy or just poor political judgement? READ »

What's on in Germany: July 14 - July 20

Lifestyle: 14 Jul 11
This Week's Highlights: A Bollywood festival comes to Stuttgart, Hamburg hosts a triathlon, and the Alvin Ailey Company dances in Berlin. READ »

Italy jails Duisburg mafia massacre mastermind

National: 12 Jul 11
An Italian court on Tuesday handed a life sentence to the mastermind of a mafia massacre outside a pizzeria in the German city of Duisburg that killed six rival clan members in 2007. READ »

Dangerous stowaway spider likely dead

Society: 11 Jul 11
A potentially deadly spider that stowed away in a box of Colombian bananas is assumed to have been killed after a supermarket in the western German state of Saarland was fumigated with pesticide. READ »

Islamist charged for US airmen killings

National: 7 Jul 11
German federal prosecutors said Thursday they had indicted a 21-year-old Islamic extremist from Kosovo over an attack on US troops at Frankfurt Airport in March that killed two airmen. READ »

Germany’s humble strength

Analysis & Opinion: 5 Jul 11
Germany was once a strong yet evil country. Then it was weak but good. Today it's both strong and good, making the innate caution of its leaders more important than ever, argues Malte Lehming from Der Tagesspiegel. READ »

Bundeswehr begins new era as conscription ends

National: 4 Jul 11
Germany’s armed forces has officially ended conscription, heralding a new era for the now all-volunteer Bundeswehr. READ »

Libyan rebels respect German military inaction

National: 30 Jun 11
Libyan rebel leader Mahmud Jibril said Thursday that he respected Germany's decision not to take part in military action to protect his country's civilians despite international criticism. READ »

Germany to supply bombs for Libya mission

National: 28 Jun 11
Germany will supply bombs and weapons technology to NATO for the military intervention into Libya despite its stated opposition to the mission, according to a media report. READ »

Army admits shooting, driving problems

National: 23 Jun 11
The Bundeswehr is in danger of failing its mission in Afghanistan because German soldiers cannot use their weapons, drive their armoured vehicles or take care of their wounded properly, according to classified internal documents. READ »

Terror suspect extradited from Austria

National: 20 Jun 11
A German man arrested on suspicion of recruiting for a terror group mounting attacks in Afghanistan and Pakistan was extradited from Austria Monday, federal prosecutors said. READ »

Berlin rules out intervention in Syria

Politics: 20 Jun 11
Defence Minister Thomas de Maizière has ruled out participation by Germany in any NATO operation in Syria to stop a bloody crackdown on protesters. READ »

Bundeswehr convoy attacked by Taliban

National: 19 Jun 11
A Taliban suicide bomber attacked a German army convoy in northern Afghanistan on Sunday, killing three Afghan civilians. Two German soldiers received slight injuries. READ »

Berlin open to Libyan peacekeeping role

National: 9 Jun 11
Germany has so far refused pressure from its NATO allies to join the militarily mission against Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi, but Berlin said Thursday it might send troops to the North African country after he's been deposed. READ »

Authorities expect more E. coli deaths

National: 8 Jun 11
German Health Minister Daniel Bahr said on Wednesday the nation's authorities expected more deaths from E. coli bacteria, but there were signs the virulent outbreak was peaking. The EU has called for Germany to accept outside help. READ »

Merkel and Obama talk debt crisis, Libya

Politics: 8 Jun 11
US President Barack Obama on Tuesday warned Europe's debt crisis must not destabilize the global economy, as he laid on a effusive White House welcome for German Chancellor Angela Merkel. READ »

Merkel visit prompts White House pomp

Politics: 7 Jun 11
German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived at the White House Tuesday, continuing an official US visit during which differences between the transatlantic allies over Libya and global economics are being masked by American pomp. READ »

Merkel’s VIP treatment in DC

Analysis & Opinion: 6 Jun 11
Amid criticism that Germany has been shirking its global responsibilities, Dr. Jackson Janes from the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies analyzes the importance of Chancellor Merkel’s high-profile visit to Washington. READ »

Holidaymakers face summer transport chaos

National: 6 Jun 11
Holidaymakers face unusual transport chaos in Germany this summer, with the ADAC car club forecasting a sharp rise in traffic jams, while there have been early signs that overheating on trains may once again become a problem. READ »

Bundeswehr slammed for children's 'Mitrovica' war games camp

National: 6 Jun 11
The Bundeswehr has launched an investigation after reports that children were invited to play war games at a mock encampment named for a village in Kosovo where the Nazis once committed war atrocities. READ »

Obama to pressure Merkel on Libya

Politics: 6 Jun 11
US President Barack Obama will ask Angela Merkel for a stronger German contribution to the military intervention in war-torn Libya when the chancellor visits Washington on Monday, according to a media report. READ »

Former church leader criticizes German arms industry

National: 2 Jun 11
Margot Käßmann, former head of the German Protestant church, used her speech at an annual Christian convention on Thursday to question the morality of Germany's arms industry. President Christian Wulff was part of the audience. READ »