Today in Germany: A roundup of the latest news on Wednesday
A public holiday for one German state, new military aid from Germany for Ukraine, pharmacies strike and more news from around Germany on Wednesday.
The German state with a public holiday on Wednesday
Parts of Germany are marking a public holiday on November 22nd.
Buß and Bettag (Day of Prayer and Repentance) is a public holiday in the eastern state of Saxony so people get the day off and shops close. Schools usually close in Bavaria to mark the event, but it is not a Feiertag as in Saxony.
It takes place on the penultimate Wednesday before the beginning of the Protestant liturgical year on the first Sunday of Advent (on December 3rd this year).
The Protestant holiday used to be marked in other federal states but was abolished in 1995.
Pharmacies strike in southern Germany
Thousands of pharmacies are expected to remain closed in Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria on Wednesday in a protest against government health policies.
The pharmacies are demonstrating against having to deal with too much bureaucracy and medicine shortages and they also say they are not sufficiently compensated by authorities for their work.
According to the Bavarian Pharmacists' Association, the number of pharmacies has now fallen to its lowest level in decades. At the end of September there were 2,818 pharmacies in Bavaria - 621 fewer than in 2010, when the number of pharmacies reached a peak of 3,439.
Many prescribed medicines are often not available and have to be replaced at great expense, said the chairman of the Bavarian Pharmacists' Association, Hans-Peter Hubmann.
Employees from Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria are set to meet around midday for a rally at Schlossplatz in Stuttgart.
Pharmacies have been closing around the country to protest health policy.
READ ALSO: Why are pharmacies across Germany planning to strike for a day?
Germany pledges new military aid worth €1.3 billion for Ukraine
Germany announced €1.3 billion more in military gear for Ukraine in its fight against Russia, including four further IRIS T-SLM air defence systems as well as artillery ammunition.
The package was unveiled by Defence Minister Boris Pistorius after talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov in Kyiv on Tuesday.
Germany is the second biggest contributor of military equipment to Ukraine, and Pistorius's visit to Kyiv was his second since he became defence minister at the start of the year.
The IRIS-T systems are highly sought after by Ukraine to shoot down Russian drones and missiles.
The latest four pledged by Germany mark the third batch of IRIS-T systems that Berlin is offering to Ukraine since the beginning of the war.
Three IRIS-T systems from the first batch have already been delivered, and a fourth will follow in this winter. A second batch of four will arrive in 2024.
Several injured after fire in south-west Germany
At least 20 people suffered smoke inhalation after a fire broke out at a cell phone repair shop in Worms, Rhineland-Palatinate, in the early hours of Wednesday.
Most of those injured were staying in a nearby hotel, which had to be evacuated due to heavy smoke, police said. Three people were taken to hospital.
The 42 people evacuated from the hotel were given temporary shelter in a local district court.
According to reports, the cell phone repair shop burned down completely.
The cause of the fire is unclear.
Germany agrees deal with Nigeria on gas and renewable energy
Nigeria and Germany have agreed on a deal for Africa's largest oil producer to supply more gas to Germany while the German government will also invest $500 million in renewable energy projects.
Since he came to office in May, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been courting foreign investors to Africa's largest economy pointing to his reforms on fuel subsidies and currency controls as incentives.
Tinubu was in Berlin for the G20 Compact with Africa conference.
Germany is also discussing an agreement with Siemens to help with Nigeria's electric power supply, which is unstable and a major burden for Nigerians and businesses.
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The German state with a public holiday on Wednesday
Parts of Germany are marking a public holiday on November 22nd.
Buß and Bettag (Day of Prayer and Repentance) is a public holiday in the eastern state of Saxony so people get the day off and shops close. Schools usually close in Bavaria to mark the event, but it is not a Feiertag as in Saxony.
It takes place on the penultimate Wednesday before the beginning of the Protestant liturgical year on the first Sunday of Advent (on December 3rd this year).
The Protestant holiday used to be marked in other federal states but was abolished in 1995.
Pharmacies strike in southern Germany
Thousands of pharmacies are expected to remain closed in Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria on Wednesday in a protest against government health policies.
The pharmacies are demonstrating against having to deal with too much bureaucracy and medicine shortages and they also say they are not sufficiently compensated by authorities for their work.
According to the Bavarian Pharmacists' Association, the number of pharmacies has now fallen to its lowest level in decades. At the end of September there were 2,818 pharmacies in Bavaria - 621 fewer than in 2010, when the number of pharmacies reached a peak of 3,439.
Many prescribed medicines are often not available and have to be replaced at great expense, said the chairman of the Bavarian Pharmacists' Association, Hans-Peter Hubmann.
Employees from Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria are set to meet around midday for a rally at Schlossplatz in Stuttgart.
Pharmacies have been closing around the country to protest health policy.
READ ALSO: Why are pharmacies across Germany planning to strike for a day?
Germany pledges new military aid worth €1.3 billion for Ukraine
Germany announced €1.3 billion more in military gear for Ukraine in its fight against Russia, including four further IRIS T-SLM air defence systems as well as artillery ammunition.
The package was unveiled by Defence Minister Boris Pistorius after talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov in Kyiv on Tuesday.
Germany is the second biggest contributor of military equipment to Ukraine, and Pistorius's visit to Kyiv was his second since he became defence minister at the start of the year.
The IRIS-T systems are highly sought after by Ukraine to shoot down Russian drones and missiles.
The latest four pledged by Germany mark the third batch of IRIS-T systems that Berlin is offering to Ukraine since the beginning of the war.
Three IRIS-T systems from the first batch have already been delivered, and a fourth will follow in this winter. A second batch of four will arrive in 2024.
Several injured after fire in south-west Germany
At least 20 people suffered smoke inhalation after a fire broke out at a cell phone repair shop in Worms, Rhineland-Palatinate, in the early hours of Wednesday.
Most of those injured were staying in a nearby hotel, which had to be evacuated due to heavy smoke, police said. Three people were taken to hospital.
The 42 people evacuated from the hotel were given temporary shelter in a local district court.
According to reports, the cell phone repair shop burned down completely.
The cause of the fire is unclear.
Germany agrees deal with Nigeria on gas and renewable energy
Nigeria and Germany have agreed on a deal for Africa's largest oil producer to supply more gas to Germany while the German government will also invest $500 million in renewable energy projects.
Since he came to office in May, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been courting foreign investors to Africa's largest economy pointing to his reforms on fuel subsidies and currency controls as incentives.
Tinubu was in Berlin for the G20 Compact with Africa conference.
Germany is also discussing an agreement with Siemens to help with Nigeria's electric power supply, which is unstable and a major burden for Nigerians and businesses.
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