Today in Germany: A roundup of the latest news on Wednesday
Weather takes chilly turn, German president leaves message for end of Ramadan and more news from around Germany on Wednesday.
German president leaves message for last day of Ramadan
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has wished Muslims in Germany a joyful celebration of breaking the fast after the last day of Ramadan on Wednesday.
"Ramadan and breaking the fast are part of the diverse religious life in Germany," he wrote in a message.
"The fact that today, at the end of the month of fasting, Muslim communities all over the country are inviting their fellow Muslims and members of other faiths is an important sign of tolerance and respect and of a willingness to live together and engage in dialogue."
There are around 5.5 million Muslims in Germany, according to Germany’s Office of Immigration. Last month, Frankfurt became the first German city to host a special lights display for the holiday.
READ ALSO: Frankfurt becomes first German city to light up for Ramadan
Cooler temperatures replace spring heat spell
Over the weekend and start of the week, Germany had been experiencing unusually high temperatures of up to 30C. But as of Wednesday, people can again pack their sandals and shorts away for a few days.
That's because the weather front "Peter" has reached Germany from southwestern Europe. There will be some rain in the Alps and southern Germany until midday, but otherwise the rest of the country can expect dry and cloudy weather.
"With a maximum of 11 to 17C, the highs will be in the range expected at this time of year," said a meteorologist from the German Weather Service (DWD).
On Wednesday night until Thursday morning - except in the north and northwest - frost near the ground is to be expected.
Further closures expected at Galeria Kaufhaus
Retail expert Jörg Funder does not expect the new owners of Germany's famous Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof department store chain to continue operating the majority of the 92 remaining stores.
"I think 20 stores is a realistic figure," said the Professor of Corporate Management in Retail at Worms University of Applied Sciences.
After a transitional period, it can be assumed that the investors will close further stores and only continue to operate the really profitable locations, said Funder. In his view, the closures could primarily affect smaller towns.
"Why should you operate a department store in a medium-sized town with 100,000 or fewer inhabitants? I think that will become increasingly difficult."
READ ALSO: German department store Galeria Kaufhof closes 52 stores
German group mulls remote-controlled ships to fix skipper shortage
With the flow of new recruits into the seafaring sector drying up, a German company is exploring a potentially revolutionary measure -- sending ships off without a captain on board.
HGK Shipping, based in the German port of Duisburg, is testing remote navigation from a control centre on land.
Driverless vessels are "the only solution to survive as an industry", HGK boss Steffen Bauer told AFP.
The average captain's age on HGK's 350 vessels is around 55, said Bauer, whose company claims to be the leading river cargo operator in Europe.
"If we do nothing, we'll lose 30 percent of our sailors by 2030," he said.
In search of a solution, HGK has signed a partnership agreement with the Belgian start-up Seafar, a leader in the emerging field of autonomous navigation.
Founded in 2019, Seafar already operates four pilotless vessels in Belgium and has just opened an office in Germany, which represents 30 percent of Europe's inland shipping.
The crewless ships are guided from a control centre, turning navigation from gruelling work into a potentially more attractive office job.
Israel's security at 'core' of Berlin foreign policy, UN court told
Israel's security is at the "core" of German foreign policy, the UN's highest court heard on Tuesday, where Berlin has denied a claim that it is aiding in a "genocide" in Gaza.
Nicaragua has brought Germany before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to demand that judges impose emergency measures to stop Berlin from providing Israel with "weapons and other assistance".
"Our history is the reason why Israel's security has been at the core of Germany foreign policy," Germany's representative told the court in The Hague.
"Where Germany has provided support to Israel, including in a form of export of arms and other military equipment, the quantity and purposes of these supplies have been grossly distorted by Nicaragua," Tania von Uslar-Gleichen said.
Lawyers for Nicaragua argued that Germany is in breach of the 1948 United Nations Genocide Convention, set up in the wake of the Holocaust, by furnishing Israel with weapons.
The case is set to be further heard on Wednesday.
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German president leaves message for last day of Ramadan
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has wished Muslims in Germany a joyful celebration of breaking the fast after the last day of Ramadan on Wednesday.
"Ramadan and breaking the fast are part of the diverse religious life in Germany," he wrote in a message.
"The fact that today, at the end of the month of fasting, Muslim communities all over the country are inviting their fellow Muslims and members of other faiths is an important sign of tolerance and respect and of a willingness to live together and engage in dialogue."
There are around 5.5 million Muslims in Germany, according to Germany’s Office of Immigration. Last month, Frankfurt became the first German city to host a special lights display for the holiday.
READ ALSO: Frankfurt becomes first German city to light up for Ramadan
Cooler temperatures replace spring heat spell
Over the weekend and start of the week, Germany had been experiencing unusually high temperatures of up to 30C. But as of Wednesday, people can again pack their sandals and shorts away for a few days.
That's because the weather front "Peter" has reached Germany from southwestern Europe. There will be some rain in the Alps and southern Germany until midday, but otherwise the rest of the country can expect dry and cloudy weather.
"With a maximum of 11 to 17C, the highs will be in the range expected at this time of year," said a meteorologist from the German Weather Service (DWD).
On Wednesday night until Thursday morning - except in the north and northwest - frost near the ground is to be expected.
Further closures expected at Galeria Kaufhaus
Retail expert Jörg Funder does not expect the new owners of Germany's famous Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof department store chain to continue operating the majority of the 92 remaining stores.
"I think 20 stores is a realistic figure," said the Professor of Corporate Management in Retail at Worms University of Applied Sciences.
After a transitional period, it can be assumed that the investors will close further stores and only continue to operate the really profitable locations, said Funder. In his view, the closures could primarily affect smaller towns.
"Why should you operate a department store in a medium-sized town with 100,000 or fewer inhabitants? I think that will become increasingly difficult."
READ ALSO: German department store Galeria Kaufhof closes 52 stores
German group mulls remote-controlled ships to fix skipper shortage
With the flow of new recruits into the seafaring sector drying up, a German company is exploring a potentially revolutionary measure -- sending ships off without a captain on board.
HGK Shipping, based in the German port of Duisburg, is testing remote navigation from a control centre on land.
Driverless vessels are "the only solution to survive as an industry", HGK boss Steffen Bauer told AFP.
The average captain's age on HGK's 350 vessels is around 55, said Bauer, whose company claims to be the leading river cargo operator in Europe.
"If we do nothing, we'll lose 30 percent of our sailors by 2030," he said.
In search of a solution, HGK has signed a partnership agreement with the Belgian start-up Seafar, a leader in the emerging field of autonomous navigation.
Founded in 2019, Seafar already operates four pilotless vessels in Belgium and has just opened an office in Germany, which represents 30 percent of Europe's inland shipping.
The crewless ships are guided from a control centre, turning navigation from gruelling work into a potentially more attractive office job.
Israel's security at 'core' of Berlin foreign policy, UN court told
Israel's security is at the "core" of German foreign policy, the UN's highest court heard on Tuesday, where Berlin has denied a claim that it is aiding in a "genocide" in Gaza.
Nicaragua has brought Germany before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to demand that judges impose emergency measures to stop Berlin from providing Israel with "weapons and other assistance".
"Our history is the reason why Israel's security has been at the core of Germany foreign policy," Germany's representative told the court in The Hague.
"Where Germany has provided support to Israel, including in a form of export of arms and other military equipment, the quantity and purposes of these supplies have been grossly distorted by Nicaragua," Tania von Uslar-Gleichen said.
Lawyers for Nicaragua argued that Germany is in breach of the 1948 United Nations Genocide Convention, set up in the wake of the Holocaust, by furnishing Israel with weapons.
The case is set to be further heard on Wednesday.
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