Germany to vote on partial legalisation of cannabis
On Friday, the German Bundestag is set to vote on a controversial draft law which would allow for the partial legalisation of cannabis under a strict set of rules.
Under the proposed legislation, possession and personal cultivation of certain quantities will be permitted for adults starting April 1st.
Clubs for non-commercial cultivation, so-called "cannabis social clubs" will furthermore be allowed starting July 1st.
The draft law has also attracted critics from both sides of the debate - whether cannabis activists who have called it too restrictive, or health experts who say that it will lead to risky behaviour.
- READ ALSO: What the partial legislation of cannabis could mean for Germany
- INTERVIEW: 'This is the year of cannabis legalisation in Germany'
More deaths from drowning reported last year
At least 378 people drowned in Germany in 2023 - significantly more than in the previous year. In 2022, there were 355 fatal swimming accidents, as the German Life Saving Association (DLRG) announced on Thursday.
Although fewer people drowned up to the end of the last summer holidays than in the same period last year, there were an unusually high number of accidents after that, said DLRG President Ute Vogt.
"More people had accidents in the last three months of the year than at any time since 2017."
Inland waters such as lakes and rivers were more dangerous than the North Sea and Baltic Sea - 90 percent of fatalities occurred there.
According to the figures, 135 people drowned in rivers in 2023, compared to 105 in the previous year.
READ ALSO: How to stay safe while swimming outdoors in Germany this summer
World Cup winner Kroos to play on German National Team in Euros 2024
World Cup winner Toni Kroos has announced his return to the German national team ahead of Euro 2024 on home soil.
Kroos, 34, will be eligible for selection in the upcoming March international friendlies against France and the Netherlands.
"Hey folks, short and sweet, I'll be playing for Germany again from March," Kroos said in an Instagram post on Thursday.
"Why? Because I was asked by the coach and I'm up for it.
"I'm sure that much more is possible with the team at the European Championship than most people think right now."
READ ALSO: Euro 2024: Germany to sell cheap tickets for fans attending games
Pupils injured in knife attack at German school
A secondary school pupil stabbed several classmates before turning the knife on himself on Thursday in an attack in the western German city of Wuppertal, police said.
The suspect was taken into custody with "life-threatening injuries", a spokesman for Düsseldorf police told AFP.
Several pupils were severely wounded in the attack, although none of the injuries posed a risk to life, the spokesman said.
The spokesman confirmed estimates from local media that up to five pupils had been wounded.
He said the school had sent a message to parents informing them the attacker was a 17-year-old pupil who had been experiencing a manic depressive episode.
Local police said mid-morning that they were responding to an emergency at the school.
"We are on site with a large number of officers," Wuppertal police said on X, formerly Twitter.
Scholz backs Dutch PM Rutte as next NATO chief
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz backs Mark Rutte to become NATO's next secretary general, his spokesman said, shortly after Britain also publicly declared its support for the outgoing Dutch leader.
"With his immense experience, his great expertise in security policy and his strong diplomatic skills, he is an outstanding candidate," German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said on X, formerly Twitter.
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