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Germany, Austria relax border restrictions

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The European countries of Germany, Austria and Switzerland have relaxed the restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the Covid-19 outbreak.

The relaxation will enable those who have been divided between the borders to reunite together.

Since early March, all countries of the Schengen open-border zone are under lockdown. The imposition of the lockdown halted road, rail, and air travel.

Since then, tens of thousands of people have made attempt to cross borders only to find them turned away by border officials.

Switzerland was one of the countries where severe restrictions were on place. In the country, only Swiss citizens, those with permanent work permits, and essential health workers were allowed entry.

The latest move has brought to end the hardship faced by those families and friends which has been separated because of the restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the Covid-19 outbreak.


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Germany makes public burning of EU flag punishable

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The European country of Germany has made public burning of the European Union flag or that of another country punishable.

Henceforth, the act will attract a serious punishment of over three year imprisonment. Hereafter, the act will be treated as a hate crime.

The German parliament has approved the motion which aims to make the act of public burning of the flags punishable.

As per the new law, the act of public burning of the aforesaid flags is equal to the crime of defiling the German flag.

The same law applies for the EU anthem also.

The move has cone after Social Democrat (SPD) complained about protesters’ burning of the Israeli flag in Berlin in 2017.

Meanwhile, Alternative for Germany, which is the most powerful party rightist party in the European country of Germany, has strongly condemned the new law.

They have called the act as excessive interference into the right to free speech and artistic expression.

Spain, Italy and Greece also have similar laws which ban desecration of the national flag.


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Far rightist infiltration identified in German army

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The European country of Germany has identified the infiltration of far-rightist elements in the German army.

The German police which investigate the illicit relation between a certain section of the military and the far right have seized some weapons and explosives from the house of a special forces soldier.

The middle aged person, who has been arrested in connection with the issue, has been under investigation for last few years – especially since the year 2017.

As per a report recently published by German military intelligence, there were 592 suspected far-right cases in the army last year.

The infliction of far-rightist elements in the Army is a serious issue. The German intelligence is keen to weed out this crisis.

Lately, Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer promised further investigation of possible extremist networks inside the army.


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Journalist accuses former Frech Prez of sexual assault

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A German journalist has accused former French President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing of sexual misconduct.

The French authority has initiated a detailed investigation into the alleged misconduct.

As per the statement given by the German reporter, the former leader touched her buttocks repeatedly during a 2018 interview.

It is learned that the global MeToo movement has inspired the journalist to reveal her unfortunate experience.

Meanwhile, the former President has denied the allegation leveled against him by the German journalist.

The incident has triggered a national wide debate on the matter.

In the coming days, the incident is expected to trigger wide discussion across the world.

Several activists have already come out strongly against the former President of France.


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Germany bans Gay Conversion Therapy

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The parliament of the European country of Germany has cleared a legislation which bans the controversial Gay Conversion Therapy.

The law means that any one which offers this service in future can be punished with a sentence of one year imprisonment.

The law also has provisions to impose a hefty fine on those who has been found to have offered this service.

The law has been brought in consideration of a report that the said practice can lead to several serious health issues including depression and can increase the risk of suicide.

As per what is known about the law now, the law is only applicable in the case of minors, though the legislation offers the power to punish the parents or legal guardians of minors if they are found to have forced their minor children to undergo the illegal therapy.

The therapy was one of the most controversial therapies existed in the country. The ban has been welcomed by many who have been fighting for this to come for years.

Many have called the law progressive.


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Germany criticises ECB’s mass bond-buying policy

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A top court based in the European country of Germany has ruled that the mass bond-buying policy of the European Central Bank to stabilise the eurozone partly has violated the constitution of the country.

The ruling is not related to the purchase in the coronavirus crisis. It is actually connected to the government debt worth €2.1 trillion bought by the ECB since 2015.

According to the ruling of the Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe, there is not enough German political oversight in the purchases.

Italy is among the countries most reliant on ECB bond purchases because of the severe economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Neither Germany nor any of the European countries have commended on this matter.


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Masks compulsory in Germany

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The European country of Germany has made facemasks compulsory, as the country has brought in a new law related to that.

The new law is an attempt to reduce the spread of the coronavirus outbreak – which has brought the country to an unpleasant state.

The new law means no person in Germany shall be allowed to come out in public without wearing facemasks.

The law makes using facemasks in public transport and shops – as well as similar public gathering spots compulsory.

Each state has its own special model of implementation. Bavaria is the state where the law has been imposed in a very strict manner, while Berlin is the state where the law has been implemented in a relaxed manner.

Germany is not likely to remove its restrictions in one go. It is expected to withdraw the restrictions in a step-by-step manner. It remains unclear when exactly the restrictions will be completely withdrawn.

Meanwhile, the WHO contradicts Germany’s suggestion on facemasks, its advice suggests people should wear protective masks only if they are sick and showing symptoms, or if they are caring for people suspected to have Covid-19. As per the opinion of the WHO, masks are not recommended for the general public because they can be contaminated by coughs and sneezes, and might offer a false sense of security.


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Trial against Syrian torture regime begins in Germany

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The trial of the first case filed against the Syrian regime against its use of torture and violence has begun in the European country of Germany.

Two men against whom the trial has been initiated are accused of committing crimes against humanity for the state of Syria.

Mr. Anwar R and Eyad A were intelligence officers working for the Syrian government. They in the midst of the Syrian civil war escaped Syria and sought asylum in Germany.

Since the year 2019, they are under the custody of the German government – which has filed a crime against humanity change against them.

Syrian has strongly denied the accusation that they have used torture and violence as a weapon to run the government smoothly.

Nonetheless, several human rights reports stay contrary to the claim made by the Syrian government supported by Russia, Iran and Iraq.

Neither the two persons, who remain in the custody of Germany, nor their legal representatives, have commended on the matter yet.

The case is very serious in nature. It is to be seen how Germany will handle the crisis. It is also unclear how other western countries will react to the trial initiated against a sovereign country – the reaction of Russia and Turkey will be very crucial in this matter.


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Just beginning, not end, says Merkel

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel has appealed for greater participation of her country in the effort to help the continent of Europe recover from the crisis into which the continent has reached due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Ms. Merkel has reminded her countrymen about the need to remain clever and cautious, warning indirectly that what has passed is not the end phase but still just the beginning.

The comment which deserves serious attention has been made while speaking in the country’s parliament.

The European Union is scheduled to organise a video summit to discuss the matter of the coronavirus outbreak soon.

The latest stand of Germany is to be viewed through that prism.

Earlier, the EU countries failed to reach an agreement on how to handle the financial burden imposed by the virus outbreak.

Some EU countries which wanted a burden sharing openly criticised the attitude of certain countries in the union, which opposed the demand for the burden sharing formula.

The difference even threatened the stability of the union, when some countries expressed doubt in the capacity of the union.

As per the present EU law, countries cannot be made liable for each other’s debts.

The development indicates that in the upcoming video summit Germany may take a lenient stand on the matter of burden sharing.


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Germany eases restrictions

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The European countries of Germany have eased several restrictions brought in to contain the spread of the coronavirus outbreak.

The country has allowed its small shops, car dealerships and bicycle stores to resume its business activities.

Though the relaxation has been announced, the majority of the restrictions are expected to remain until it is decided otherwise.

Germany is one of the worst affected countries in the continent of Europe. Unlike many other European countries, it has brought the things under control in a quick manner.

In the coming days, the country is expected to announce more relaxations. It seems that it will not take too many days after the country to come back to normal.

The country is different from other European states which have suffered the heat of the virus outbreak. The mortality rate from Covid-19 of the country is far lower than the rates of many of its European counterparts.

The German health department deserves special appreciation for the way it has handled the virus outbreak.

The country has so far suffered a little more than 4,400 deaths due to the coronavirus outbreak.


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