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☆ Germany set for snap election in February, according to German public broadcaster
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-12 | by ( Sebastian Shukla | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Germany is set to hold a snap election on February 23 after an agreement was reached among parties in the country’s fractured parliament on Tuesday, according to reports from public broadcaster ARD. The confidence vote will be held on December 16 following an agreement from all parliamentary parties, according to ARD. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier needs to rubber-stamp the date of the election, but reports suggest this is a formality. Friedrich Merz, leader of the CDU, said last week, “there is absolutely no reason to wait until January” to call the confidence vote. His government has grown increasingly unpopular in Germany, with Scholz also one of the least popular chancellors ever, according to a September opinion poll.

Persons: Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Scholz, Frank, Walter Steinmeier, Steinmeier, Christian Lindner, Friedrich Merz, ” Organizations: CNN, ARD, Green Party, Christian Democratic Union of Germany, CDU, German, Greens Locations: Germany, Berlin

CNN —Germany’s governing coalition has collapsed after disagreements over the country’s weak economy led Chancellor Olaf Scholz to sack his finance minister. The coalition has been at loggerheads over how to revive Germany’s economy. What problems is Germany’s economy facing? Germany’s economy, Europe’s largest, shrank last year for the first time since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Party leader Alice Weidel has already hailed the coalition’s collapse as a “liberation” for Germany.

Persons: Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Christian Lindner’s, Scholz, Donald Trump, Europe’s, Angela Merkel, Gerhard Schröder, Merkel, Christian Lindner, Christoph Soeder, Friedrich Merz, Lindner, Liesa Johannssen, “ Lindner, ” Lindner, ”, Carsten Brzeski, “, Robert Habeck, Annegret Hilse, Merz, Alice Weidel, ” Weidel Organizations: CNN, Free Democrats Party, Scholz’s Social Democratic Party, SPD, Green Party, CDU, Trump, Social Democratic Party, Greens, ING, Volkswagen, CDU –, Christian Democratic Union, Party Locations: Germany, Germany’s, Nazi, Thuringia, France, Italy, Ukraine, China, ”

CNN —German Chancellor Olaf Scholz fired his finance minister on Wednesday, leaving the government teetering on the brink of collapse. “The economy cannot wait until after the elections,” Scholz said. Trading barbsThe German chancellor and Lindner criticized each other in separate press conferences on Wednesday. Scholz told reporters “Lindner showed no willingness to implement any of our proposals” and, therefore, “there is no trust basis for any future cooperation” with the outgoing finance minister. The Chancellor also accused the finance minister of being “not about serving the common good but about serving his own clientele and party.” According to Scholz, Lindner will also be dismissed by the country’s President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Persons: Olaf Scholz, Scholz, Christian Lindner, “, – Scholz, Lindner, Robert Habeck, Trump, Habeck, Friedrich Merz ’, ” Scholz, Germany’s, Chancellor Gerhard Schroder, Angela Merkel, “ Lindner, Frank, Walter Steinmeier, Alice Weidel Organizations: CNN, Social Democratic Party, Free Democratic Party, Green Party, Lindner’s Free Democratic Party, Greens, Christian Democratic Union, CDU Locations: Germany, Nazi

☆ ‘A huge victory’: World leaders react as Trump secures White House return
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-06 | by ( Sam Meredith | In Samuelmeredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Addressing his supporters in Florida, Trump said his return to the White House would usher in the "golden age" of America. Likewise, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban all offered their congratulations to Trump. We rely on continued strong bipartisan support for Ukraine in the United States," he added. "I look forward to working with him again to advance peace through strength through #NATO," Rutte said. "I hope that the elections will be beneficial for our friendly and allied people in the United States and for all of humanity," he added.

Persons: Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu, Amos Ben, Gershom, Trump, Keir Starmer, Ursula von der Leyen, Emmanuel Macron, Pedro Sanchez, Giorgia Meloni, Viktor Orban, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump's, Volodymyr Zelensky, Alex Kent, Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's, Maria Zakharova, Kamala Harris, Zakharova, Mark Rutte, Rutte, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Erdoğan, Tayyip Erdogan, Thaier Organizations: Mar, Anadolu, Getty, Wednesday, NBC News, Atlantic, Spanish, European Commission, Christian Democratic Union, Bloomberg, Ukraine, Republican, U.S, Russia, Russia's, White, NBC, Russian Foreign, Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO, United Nations, Change, United Arab Emirates, sudani Locations: Lago, Palm Beach , Florida, United States, Florida, America, Italian, Hungarian, Berlin, Germany, Ukraine, New York City, Kyiv, Russia, Brussels, Belgium, Turkey, India, Australia, Israel, Iran, Dubai, United Arab

☆ 'Western democracy is in a state of crisis,' German member of Parliament says
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-31 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via Email'Western democracy is in a state of crisis,' German member of Parliament saysNorbert Röttgen, German member of Parliament for the Christian Democratic Union party and member of the Bundestag Foreign Affairs Committee, discusses current security challenges for Western democracies.

Persons: Norbert Röttgen Organizations: Christian Democratic Union, Bundestag Foreign Affairs

☆ Starmer pledges to ‘reset’ Britain as Labour takes over after 14 years of Conservative rule
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-05 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

London CNN —The Labour Party has won a landslide victory in the UK general election, sweeping into power after 14 years of Conservative rule on the back of a wave of public disillusionment. Addressing the nation from outside 10 Downing Street for the first time as prime minister, Starmer had one overarching message: Change starts now. There were high-profile casualties, with the short-lived former Prime Minister Liz Truss and several cabinet ministers being booted out by voters. Conservative leader and, as of Friday morning, former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak took responsibility for the electoral wipeout, apologizing to voters in his farewell address. Leaving the palace as the newly minted prime minister, he then headed straight to Downing Street.

Persons: Keir Starmer, King Charles III, Starmer, ”, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak, Sunak, “, Akshata Murty, Nigel Farage, Donald Trump, Farage, Sinn Féin, Clodagh Kilcoyne, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner, David Lammy, Yvette Cooper, Jeremy Corbyn, Yui Mok, Tony Blair, Starmer –, –, Israel “, David Cameron, Brexit –, Boris Johnson Organizations: London CNN, Labour Party, Conservative Party, Labour, Conservative, Downing, British, Conservatives, Liberal, Lib Dems, Reform UK, Green Party, Scottish National Party, Irish, Democratic Unionist Party, DUP, Reuters Government, Home, Tories, European Union Locations: British, United Kingdom, Buckingham, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Westminster, Starmer, Gaza, Britain, Europe, United States, Ukraine

☆ Landmark UK election kicks off as center-left Labour seeks return to power after 14 years
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-04 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party, campaigns ahead of the general election, in Redditch, UK, on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesLONDON — The U.K. heads to the ballot box on Thursday, as the incumbent Conservative Party seeks to defy months of polls that suggest it will suffer a historic defeat at the hands of the center-left Labour Party. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the vote six weeks ago, taking politicians and the public alike by surprise. The Thursday ballot is the first U.K. general election since 2019, when then-Conservative leader Boris Johnson clinched the party's biggest majority win since 1987 over Jeremy Corbyn's Labour. Rishi Sunak, UK prime minister, campaigns at a Conservative Party general election campaign event at the National Army Museum in London, UK, on Tuesday, July 2, 2024.

Persons: Keir Starmer, Rishi Sunak, Nigel Farage's, Hannah Bunting, Labour's Tony Blair, John Major, Jeremy Hunt, Sunak, Boris Johnson, Jeremy Corbyn's Labour, Liz Truss Organizations: Labour Party, Bloomberg, Getty, Conservative, Labour Party ., of, Liberal Democrats, Greens, Scottish National Party, Plaid Cymru, Democratic Unionist Party, Nigel Farage's Reform, Conservatives, Labour, Convention, University of Exeter, European Union, Conservative Party, National Army Museum Locations: Redditch, UK, England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, London

☆ Jeffrey Donaldson: Former top Northern Irish politician to stand trial over alleged sex offenses
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-03 | by ( Niamh Kennedy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The former leader of Northern Ireland’s most prominent pro-union party, Jeffrey Donaldson, will stand trial over allegations of historical sex offenses including one charge of rape. Eleanor Donaldson, center, is also set to stand trial in September. Niall Carson/PADonaldson led the DUP from 2019, throughout much of the turbulent Brexit process, regularly voicing his opposition to the Northern Ireland Protocol, a key part of the Brexit withdrawal agreement that ensured there was no hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Donaldson’s trial was announced as people in Northern Ireland were preparing to vote in the UK general election. Northern Irish politicians can choose to either run for a seat in Westminster or for a seat in the devolved legislature, the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Persons: Jeffrey Donaldson, Donaldson, “, ”, Eleanor Donaldson, Niall Carson, Both Donaldson, RTÉ, Donaldson’s, Sinn Féin, Jonathan Buckley Organizations: CNN, Northern, Northern Ireland Courts, Democratic Unionist Party, PA Media, DUP, Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland Assembly, Lawmakers, Nationalist Locations: Northern Ireland, Republic of, Westminster, Lagan

☆ Protesters and police clash as Germany’s far-right AfD begin conference
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-29 | by ( Sophie Tanno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Protesters have clashed with police as a conference of Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party got underway in the western city of Essen on Saturday. Police scuffle with protesters who block access near the venue where AfD delegates are holding a conference. According to the organization, around 7,000 Widersetzen protesters were on the streets of Essen on Saturday morning, with more expected in the afternoon. In May, prominent AfD politician Maximilian Krah drew condemnation after suggesting not all members of the Nazi SS were criminals. Krah also caused friction within his party, with the AfD saying his statements had caused “massive damage” to their election campaign.

Persons: ”, Christian Mang, Widersetzen, Maximilian Krah, Krah Organizations: CNN — Protesters, Police, Reuters, Christian Democratic Union, CDU, Nazi SS Locations: Germany, Essen, ” Essen

☆ Germany demands new citizens accept Israel’s right to exist
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-27 | by ( Sophie Tanno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —People applying for naturalization in Germany will now be required to affirm Israel’s right to exist, under changes to the country’s citizenship law. The country’s naturalization exam will now include a number of new questions, according to a statement from the interior ministry. “In response to increasing antisemitism in Germany, the list of questions in the naturalization test has been expanded. New exam questions have been added on the topics of antisemitism, the right of the state of Israel to exist and Jewish life in Germany,” it said. ‘A crystal clear red line’The legislation is being introduced nationwide after the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt also required citizenship applicants to recognize Israel’s right to exist in December.

Persons: Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Lamya Kaddor, Nancy Faeser, ” Organizations: CNN, Israel, Green, Christian Democratic Union, CDU, Bundestag Locations: Germany, Berlin, Gaza, Israel, Europe, Saxony, Anhalt, German, RIAS

European Commission President and EPP lead candidate standing for re-election, Ursula von der Leyen greets delegates before giving a speech at the congress of Germany's conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party at the Estrel Berlin Hotel in Berlin, on May 8, 2024. The European Union's three main political groups have come to an agreement on who will hold the bloc's top jobs, three officials told CNBC, leading to disgruntlement from some lawmakers in the continent. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is set to remain in her post for a second five-year term under a deal struck Tuesday by EU leaders from the center-right European People's Party (EPP), the Socialists and the Liberals, the sources told CNBC. The commission president is in charge of the EU executive arm and holds responsibility over regulating the world's single market, proposing new legislation, and directing the bloc's policy agenda over the next five years. "There's an understanding between the three main parties," one of the three EU officials told CNBC.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, Kaja Kallas, Antonio Costa Organizations: EPP, Christian Democratic Union, CDU, CNBC, European, EU, European People's Party, Socialists, Liberals, Estonian, European Council Locations: Berlin, Portuguese

☆ UAW President Shawn Fain under investigation by federal monitor
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —Shawn Fain, who led the United Auto Workers union in its strike against all three unionized American automakers last fall, is under investigation by a federal monitor overseeing the union. It dredges up past union corruption issues that sent previous union officials to prison, an issue that helped Fain win a narrow upset victory to lead the union last year. Fain was a guest of President Joe Biden at the State of the Union speech, where Biden recognized and praised him. Biden also joined Fain on the picket line during last year’s auto strike, the first sitting president to visit a picket line. Fain, a former critic of both former President Donald Trump and the Biden administration, has become a vocal supporter of Biden, who has been endorsed by the UAW.

Persons: Shawn Fain, Fain, Margaret Mock, “, Neil Barofsky, Rich Boyer, Boyer, Barofsky, Mock, ” Barofsky, ”, We’re, Stellantis, Joe Biden, Biden, Donald Trump Organizations: New, New York CNN, United Auto Workers, UAW, Volkswagen, Stellantis, TARP, General Motors, Ford, State Locations: New York, Tennessee, Mercedes, Alabama

☆ Opinion: Germany’s 16-year-olds voted for the first time in European Parliamentary elections. The far-right results were scary
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( Opinion Paul Hockenos | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

What a shock then – and coming days after the 80th anniversary of D-Day - that many German first-timers threw their votes disproportionally behind the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Paul HockenosWhat a shock then – and coming days after the 80th anniversary of D-Day — that many German first-timers threw their votes disproportionally behind the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. A full 95% of German AfD voters said Germany should limit the flow of foreigners and refugees into Germany. Not exactly the credentials of a party you would think would appeal to the next generation of German voters. But they must vent this pique constructively, as the extreme right has no answers to these problems (which, oddly, I’ve heard hard right voters say they recognize.)

Persons: Paul Hockenos, ”, Read, “ We’ll, Paul Hockenos Hayyan, —, Maximilian Krah, weren’t, Adam Berry, doesn’t, “, it’s, I’ve Organizations: Berlin CNN, European Union, verve, Greens, Parliamentary, Christian Democratic Union, Christian Social Union, CDU, CSU, SS, Democracy, Nazi, BBC Locations: Berlin, Europe, New Berlin, Austria, Belgium, Malta, Greece, Germany, Hamburg, Deutschland, Portugal, Italy, Sweden, Netherlands, France

☆ Our potential for growth is still too low, says Germany's CDU Leader
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailOur potential for growth is still too low, says Germany's CDU LeaderFriedrich Merz, leader of the Christian Democratic Union, speaks to Annette in an exclusive interview from the Ludwig Erhard Summit in Tegernsee, Germany.

Persons: Friedrich Merz, Annette, Ludwig Erhard Summit Organizations: Christian Democratic Union Locations: Germany's, Tegernsee, Germany

☆ A Far-Right Party Emerges as a Possible Kingmaker in Croatia
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Joe Orovic | Andrew Higgins | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A far-right party emerged on Thursday as a potential kingmaker in Croatia after the governing conservatives finished first in a bitterly contested parliamentary election but fell short of winning enough seats to form a new government. The HDZ, led by the incumbent Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, won 61 seats in the 151-member legislature, according to the near-final official tally. That was more than all its rivals, including Rivers of Justice, a left-leaning coalition formed by President Zoran Milanovic, which won 42 seats to finish second. The far-right Homeland Movement finished third with 13 seats. Speaking early Thursday in Zagreb, the Croatian capital, Mr. Plenkovic said his party had “convincingly won” but acknowledged that he would need help from rival groups to form a government and secure a third term as prime minister.

Persons: Andrej Plenkovic, Zoran Milanovic, Plenkovic, “, ” Organizations: Croatian Democratic Union, HDZ, Homeland Movement Locations: Croatia, Balkan, Yugoslavia, Rivers of, Zagreb, Croatian

☆ Germany should legalize abortion up to 12 weeks, a government commission recommends
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Berlin CNN —Germany should overturn its 150-year old ban on abortions and make terminations legal within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, a government-appointed panel of experts said on Monday. The procedure is de-criminalized up to 12 weeks of pregnancy, but anyone seeking a termination must attend a compulsory counselling session followed by a mandatory three-day waiting period. After 12 weeks, abortions are only allowed in exceptional circumstances, such as if the pregnancy or birth poses a risk to the mother’s physical or mental health. “(The commission’s) recommendations provide a good basis for the open and fact-based conversation that is now necessary,” German Minister for Family Affairs Lisa Paus said in a statement on Monday. The proposals from Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s party would legalize abortion up to 12 weeks, a move more in line with some Western European countries.

Persons: Liane Woerner, “, Lisa Paus, Karl Lauterbach, ”, Donald Tusk’s, Andrzej Duda, Roe, Wade Organizations: Berlin CNN —, Reproductive, Social Democratic Party, SPD, Greens, Free Democrats, University of Constance, German Federal Statistical Office, Christian Democratic Union, Central Committee, Bishops ’ Conference, Family, German, Law, Justice Locations: Berlin CNN — Germany, Germany, France

☆ Croatia 2024 General Election: What to Know
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Andrew Higgins | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Politics in Croatia have been dominated for more than 30 years by the party that led the armed struggle for a separate state from a disintegrating Yugoslavia. But the general election that takes place on Wednesday has left the Balkan nation’s governing party exposed to an unexpectedly strong challenge from populist forces. The Croatian Democratic Union, known as HDZ, first emerged in 1989 as an ethnonationalist champion of Croat primacy, but later evolved into a more conventional, pro-European, right-wing party. Opinion polls put HDZ ahead of its main rival, the Social Democratic Party, and a plethora of smaller groups. But swamped by corruption scandals, disquiet over the rising cost of living and anger over its aloof (critics say authoritarian) ways, HDZ has faced mounting pressure from both the left and right.

Organizations: Balkan, Croatian Democratic Union, HDZ, Social Democratic Party Locations: Croatia, Yugoslavia, Croatia’s Parliament

☆ Leader of Northern Ireland’s main pro-union party resigns after police charges
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Catherine Nicholls | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), Northern Ireland’s main pro-union party, is stepping down after he was charged with “allegations of an historical nature,” the DUP announced on Friday. “Detectives from the Police Service of Northern Ireland arrested and charged a 61-year-old man for non-recent sexual offences,” the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) statement said. Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill said Friday her “priority” was to “continue to provide the leadership the public expect and deserve” following Donaldson’s resignation. Under his leadership, the DUP refused to participate in Northern Ireland’s power-sharing government in protest over post-Brexit trading rules. The DUP announced on Friday it had unanimously appointed Gavin Robinson as interim party leader.

Persons: Jeffrey Donaldson, Mr Donaldson, “, Donaldson, Michelle O’Neill, ”, O’Neill, Sinn Fein, Emma Little, ” Donaldson, Gavin Robinson Organizations: CNN, Democratic Unionist Party, DUP, Northern Ireland’s, Party, Party Officers, Police Service of Northern Ireland, Police Service of Northern, Facebook, Northern Irish, United, Ulster Unionist Party Locations: Northern, Police Service of Northern Ireland, Newry, Ireland, Northern Ireland

☆ Charged with Sexual Offenses, Influential Politician in Northern Ireland Steps Down
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Stephen Castle | More About Stephen Castle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Jeffrey Donaldson, leader of the Democratic Unionist Party and one of Northern Ireland’s most prominent and influential politicians, resigned his leadership of the party on Friday, after being charged with “historical” sex offenses. The resignation, which sent shock waves through Northern Irish politics, was announced in a statement from the D.U.P. which said it was also suspending Mr. Donaldson as a party member pending a judicial process. The party said that it had received a letter from Mr. Donaldson “confirming that he has been charged with allegations of an historical nature and indicating that he is stepping down as leader.”Earlier on Friday the Police Service of Northern Ireland said that it had “charged a 61-year-old man for non-recent sexual offenses.” It added that “a 57-year-old woman was also arrested and charged at the time for aiding and abetting additional offenses.”

Persons: Jeffrey Donaldson, Donaldson, Donaldson “ Organizations: Democratic Unionist Party, Police Service of Northern Locations: Northern, Police Service of Northern Ireland

☆ Germany to investigate after leaked recording emerges of secret army talks on Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-02 | by ( Sophie Tanno | Xiaofei Xu | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Germany says it will investigate after a recording leaked of a conversation between several top-ranking German officers on the country’s Ukraine war strategy. A spokesperson of the German Defense Ministry confirmed to CNN the recording was authentic. “According to our assessment, a conversation in the air force sector has been intercepted. The Kerch bridge has been a targeted for Ukraine throughout the conflict. Alexey Pavlishak/ReutersGermany has been resisting sending the weapons to Kyiv, fearing they could be used for attacks on Russian territory.

Persons: CNN —, Margarita Simonyan, Olaf Scholz, ” Scholz, Alexey Pavlishak, Maria Zakharova, Roberich, ” Organizations: CNN, German Defense Ministry, Ukraine, Reuters, Russian Foreign, Christian Democratic Union, ZDF, Deutsche Welle Locations: CNN — Germany, Ukraine, Kerch, Crimean, Russia, Rome, Reuters Germany, Moscow, Germany, Russian

☆ Opinion: What it means to be born Black in Germany
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Opinion Josephine Apraku | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

It is hard to group Black Germans — sometimes also referred to as Afro-Germans — under one umbrella; there is no one description that encompasses the diversity of Black people here. The same year I was born, a seminal work about Black Germans, “Showing Our Colors: Afro-German Women Speak Out,” was published. I think that these are precisely the times when Black community, Black alliances and Black spaces are so important. In 2020, the Black Student Union at the University of Bremen renamed February “Black Our Story Month,” and has been holding Black History Month events every year since, creating visibility for the complexity of Black experiences. The Black community in Germany celebrated its first Black History Month in 1990.

Persons: Josephine Apraku, I’m, I’ve, ” Josephine Apraku Dahahm Choi It’s, there’s, ” Josephine Apraku, ”, Christian Mang, Audre Lorde, Lorde, Roma, Sinti, — that’s, Steffi Loos, Schwarzer, George Floyd, Black, — Organizations: African Studies, CNN, Berlin CNN, Black, Africa, Free University of Berlin, CDU, Christian Democratic Union, Black Student Union, University of Bremen, ISD, of Black People, White Locations: Berlin, Germany, Black, East Germany, Angola, Ethiopia, Mozambique, German, Ghana, Europe, Territories, Namibia, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Cameroon, Togo, ” Josephine Apraku Germany, France, Belgium, Great Britain, United States, Tiergarten, Black Germans, Deutschland

☆ German parliament votes to legalize limited recreational cannabis use for adults
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Nadine Schmidt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Germany’s lower house of parliament voted to legalize cannabis for limited recreational use among adults on Friday, following a controversial debate about the pros and cons of allowing easier access to the drug. In total, 407 German lawmakers voted in favor of the new regulation; 226 lawmakers voted against and four lawmakers abstained from Friday’s vote. The move makes Germany the third country in Europe – after Malta and Luxembourg – to legalize the drug for recreational use, removing cannabis from the official list of banned substances. The German government said that cannabis would remain illegal for minors and highly restricted for young adults, adding that consuming the drug near schools and playgrounds would be illegal. “Nobody should misunderstand this law: cannabis consumption is being legalized, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t dangerous,” Germany’s health minister said.

Persons: –, Karl Lauterbach, ” Lauterbach, “, Tino Sorge, GMA Klaus Reinhardt Organizations: CNN, Christian Democratic Union, CDU, German Medical Associations, GMA Locations: Germany, Europe –, Malta, Luxembourg, Netherlands

☆ The prospect of a united Ireland emerges as a republican leader takes office in Belfast
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - FEBRUARY 3: First Minister Michelle O'Neill speaks during proceedings of the Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormont on February 3, 2024 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. LONDON — A referendum on Irish reunification could be in the cards within a decade, according to Northern Ireland's first-ever nationalist first minister, who took office at the weekend. Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neill was appointed as first minister on Saturday, the first Irish nationalist to hold the office since Northern Ireland was founded as a Protestant-majority state in 1921. The island to the west of England is divided in two; Northern Ireland is part of the U.K., whereas its neighbor, the Republic of Ireland, is an independent nation and a member of the European Union. The deal that secured their return includes a contribution of more than £3 billion ($3.8 billion) from the British government for Northern Ireland's public services.

Persons: Michelle O'Neill, Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neill, Democratic Unionist Party's Emma Little, Pengelly, Sinn Fein Organizations: Northern Ireland Assembly, Stormont, Northern Ireland's, Irish, Democratic Unionist, DUP, European Union, Northern Locations: BELFAST, IRELAND, Belfast , Northern Ireland, Northern, Northern Ireland, England, Republic of Ireland, Republic

☆ N. Ireland Has 'Brighter Future' With Power Sharing Return, Sunak Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Amanda FergusonBELFAST (Reuters) - Northern Ireland faces a "brighter future" with the restoration of devolved government after two years of deadlock, Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on a visit to Belfast on Sunday. Sunak's government brokered a deal with the pro-British Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to allow the return of power sharing by easing post-Brexit trade frictions. "In the last few days we've made significant progress towards a brighter future for people here," Sunak told broadcasters. O'Neill told Sky News on Sunday that it was a "decade of opportunity" for Northern Ireland. Under the power-sharing agreement, the post of deputy has equal power but less symbolic weight than the First Minister.

Persons: Amanda Ferguson BELFAST, Rishi Sunak, Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neill, we've, Sunak, Sinn Fein, O'Neill, Emma Little, Paul Sandle, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Reuters, Britain's, Sunday, Irish, British Democratic Unionist Party, Irish Republican Army, IRA, Sky News, Belfast Good, First Locations: Northern Ireland, Belfast, British, Ireland

☆ Historic day in Northern Ireland as Michelle O’Neill becomes first nationalist leader
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Amy Cassidy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —In a historic moment, a nationalist politician has become First Minister of Northern Ireland as power-sharing resumed after a two-year break. But the symbolism of a Sinn Féin representative becoming first minister is still obvious and in Northern Ireland symbols matter a lot – perhaps too much. “The whole point of creating Northern Ireland a century ago was that it would always have a Protestant majority committed to staying within the United Kingdom. “It doesn’t mean that a United Ireland is an immediate prospect but it does mean that the whole future of Northern Ireland is very much an open question. The task now is to make that openness promising and full of opportunity rather than threatening and full of fear.”The Northern Ireland Assembly is the devolved legislature for Northern Ireland.

Persons: Michelle O’Neill, Sinn Féin, ”, “, ” O’Neill, Emma Little, –, “ Michelle, Protestants –, ’, Fintan O’Toole, Michelle O’Neill’s Organizations: CNN, Irish Republican Army, IRA, Unionist, Democratic Unionist Party, DUP, Northern Ireland Assembly, Irish Republican, Protestants, Northern, Westminster Locations: Northern Ireland, Ireland, Irish, United Kingdom, United Ireland, London

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