Berlin, Germany | AFP | A German intelligence agent said he pretended to be a jihadist planning an attack in online chatrooms because he was bored, as he went on trial for attempted treason. The 52-year-old suspect, named as Roque M., made headlines when he was arrested last November in …
Read More »Merkel ahead as Schulz fails to land knock-out punch in sole debate
Berlin, Germany | AFP | Angela Merkel appeared to be powering ahead Monday to a fourth term as chancellor of Germany, after her rival Martin Schulz failed to halt her advance in a crucial televised debate three weeks before elections. Sunday’s prime-time TV clash had been billed as Schulz’s last chance …
Read More »The wackiest innovations at Berlin’s IFA 2017
Berlin, Germany | AFP | Europe’s biggest electronics show IFA is in full swing in Berlin, and alongside the familiar televisions and smartphones its aisles are bursting with gadgets on the stranger side. Here’s a look at some of the most eye-catching inventions: – DIY cyborg – Long the province of …
Read More »‘Blockbuster’ WWII bomb forces evacuation of 60,000 in Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main, Germany | AFP | At least 60,000 people were forced to leave their homes in central Frankfurt on Sunday as Germany begins an operation to defuse a huge unexploded World War II bomb dubbed “blockbuster”. The operation is the biggest evacuation of its kind in post-war Germany, Frankfurt’s …
Read More »Trump announces ambassador picks to Germany, India
Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump has announced a series of ambassador nominations to key capitals, including Berlin and New Delhi, more than seven months after taking office. In a statement released late Friday, the White House announced Trump intends to nominate Richard Grenell to be ambassador …
Read More »Top trends at IFA 2017
Berlin, Germany | AFP | With just a few months to go until the high-tech spending bonanza of the Christmas season, Berlin’s IFA trade fair is the place to spot the trends that will mark high streets this year. Here are a few of them: – Ultra-HD TVs – IFA’s aisles …
Read More »High-def TVs rule the roost at Berlin’s IFA
Berlin, Germany | AFP | No-one wants to watch Game of Thrones’ bloody fantasy battles on a tiny tablet screen, which is just one reason why cheaper, bigger, higher-definition televisions are the stars of this year’s IFA electronics fair in Berlin. Rather than just fantasise when they gather in front of …
Read More »‘Gifted’ high-tech takes spotlight at Berlin’s IFA fair
Berlin, Germany | AFP | The gadgets on display at Berlin’s mega consumer electronics fair this week may not look radically different, but they are smarter than ever before and designed to meet our every need — often before we’ve even thought of it ourselves. As smartphones and other electronic devices …
Read More »Merkel ‘out of touch’, says challenger as vote nears
Berlin, Germany | AFP | German Chancellor Angela Merkel is “aloof” and “out of touch”, her main challenger Martin Schulz said Sunday, stepping up his attacks as he seeks to turn around a flagging campaign ahead of next month’s general election. The Social Democratic Party (SPD) leader said Merkel …
Read More »Merkel says Turkey must not ‘misuse’ Interpol in writer’s case
Berlin, Germany | AFP | Chancellor Angela Merkel said Sunday she was glad a Spanish court had ordered the conditional release of a Turkish-German writer wanted by Ankara and warned Turkey not to “misuse” Interpol to pursue its critics. “That’s not on. We must not misuse international organisations such as Interpol” …
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