ethics

Farming

Germany allows slaughter of male chicks to continue

Germany's top administrative court ruled Thursday that the slaughtering of male chicks may continue in the poultry industry until a method is found to determine the sex of an embryo in the egg.

sexual assault

#MeToo has arrived in Germany. Here’s why it’s so controversial

As accusations of sexual misconduct against famous men swept through the media in the Anglophone world late last year, Germany stayed silent. That changed this month when one of the country’s most famous directors was accused of rape.

Terrorism

Germans disobey constitution in vote on TV terror attack

In an interactive show aired on German television on Monday, viewers had the chance to decide whether a fictional Luftwaffe pilot should be acquitted for shooting down an airliner - essentially voting against the first article of the constitution.

Health

Ethics Council rejects assisted suicide law

The German Ethics Council said the law should not be changed to permit assisted suicide in a paper published on Friday.

human rights

'Incest should be legal,' says ethics board

The German Ethics Council said on Wednesday the government should consider decriminalizing incestuous relationships.

children

Baby hatches turn 10 amid calls for closure

The first of Germany’s baby hatches, which allow mothers to give up their children anonymously, celebrated its 10th anniversary on Thursday amid continued debate over ethical questions they raise.

media

Wikipedia prankster dupes German media

An article poking fun at the lengthy name of new Economy Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg turned out to be a joke on some of the biggest names in the German media after it was revealed they had been tricked by a Wikipedia prankster.