German | Common News Update

Jan312019 by adminNo Comments

Three Iraqi refugees arrested in allegedly foiled German terror plot

In the early morning hours of Wednesday, three Iraqi citizens living in a village in northwestern Germany were arrested on suspicion of preparing a bomb for a planned an “Islamist-motivated terror attack." Three men, identified only as Shahin F. and Hersh F., both 23, as well as Rauf S., 36, are in custody. All three have refugee status in Germany. “From our investigation, we are certain that Shahin F. and Hersh F. had seriously decided to carry out an attack,” said Frauke Koehler, spokesperson for Germany’s Federal Prosecutor’s office in a televised press statement on Wednesday afternoon. The third man, Rauf S., was arrested for aiding and abetting the other two suspects in a terror plot. The men were apprehended in Germany's Schleswig-Holstein region. W...

Jan152019 by adminNo Comments

German economic growth slowest for five years

Business

Germany's economy grew by 1.5% last year, its slowest rate since 2013, the latest official figures show.Figures from the Federal Statistics Office showed Europe's largest economy slowed sharply as the year wore on.A weaker global economy and problems in the car industry, caused by new pollution standards, have been cited as contributing to the slowdown.At the start of 2018, the German economy had been expected to grow by 1.8%. Growth was 2.2% in 2017.Germany's economy had shrunk in the third quarter of the year, by 0.2%, with global trade disputes blamed for the contraction.There were fears that Germany was at risk of following that with another quarter of negative growth, something that would have put the country into recession.The statistics office has ...

Jan52019 by adminNo Comments

German cyber officials defend handling of mass data attack

World

Germany's cybersecurity authority has defended its handling of a mass data attack on hundreds of politicians, after criticism it did not tell the police about the breach for weeks.The agency says it was not aware of the full extent of a systematic leak of information until Thursday night.Journalists, celebrities and politicians, including Chancellor Angela Merkel, are among those whose personal data was published online.It is unclear who was responsible.The attacks took place throughout December, but did not become public knowledge until Friday.The contacts, private chats and financial details of figures from every political party - except the far-right AfD - were posted on Twitter.The interior ministry says there is no evidence ...

Jan42019 by adminNo Comments

German politicians targeted in 'mass hack attack'

Technology

Hundreds of German politicians including Chancellor Angela Merkel have had personal details hacked and published online, reports say.Contacts, private chats and credit card details were put out on Twitter which belong to figures from every political party except the far-right AfD.Data from celebrities and journalists also appear to have been leaked.It is unclear who was behind the hack, which emerged on Twitter last month in the style of an advent calendar.How extensive was the attack?The true extent of damage caused by the leak is not yet known although Justice Minister Katarina Barley said it was a "serious attack". "The people behind this want to damage confidence in our democracy and institutions," she said. Germany's federal...

Nov12018 by adminNo Comments

German covettes to receive OTO 76/62 Super Rapid naval gun system

Business

Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Leonardo announced a deal on Thursday to mount its new defense gun system on new German naval ships. The new deal calls on Leonardo to provide seven OTO 76/62 Super Rapid systems to equip the new K130 corvettes of the German Navy. "The signing of the contract strengthens the historical collaboration with the country and with the Agency," the company said in a press release. "Leonardo has indeed provided the first naval artillery systems, in particular the 76/62 Compact, starting from the 70s; the most recent supplies include the 127/64 Vulcano naval guns and the Hitrole 12.7 turrets currently on board the F125 Frigate." Leonardo's OTO 76/62 is powered by a control console that can be incorporated into any type and class of ship, even smaller units. The system's medium-cali...