CHINA has been tipped as close to "world domination" by the former head of Germany's foreign intelligence agency, who also warned Europe they need to tackle Beijing's influence.

The leaders of German chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union party have decided to postpone the party congress planned for December to elect a new leader, Reuters reported. Party leaders will decide on 16 January if it is possible to hold the gathering amid the pandemic. Federal elections are due by October 2021, when Merkel is not running. One of the candidates, Merkel-rival Friedrich Merz spoke out against a delay.

Belgium has asked the Netherlands to take some Covid-19 patients for treatment in its hospitals and ease the increasing pressure on Belgian facilities, but the Netherlands said warned it has little spare capacity, Dutch news agency ANP reports. "Just like Germany helped us, we could do the same for Belgium, based on reciprocity. However, right now it's very difficult," Ernst Kuipers, head Dutch health emergency coordinator, said.

Authorities in Berlin are investigating what appeared to be an arson attack early Sunday on Germany’s infectious disease institute leading the country’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Hansi Flick has challenged Leroy Sane to improve his game if he is to hold down a starting spot as the Bayern Munich coach prepares to welcome back Serge Gnabry. Germany winger Gnabry missed the 4-0 Champions League win over Atletico Madrid and the 5-0 Bundesliga thumping of Eintracht Frankfurt after testing positive for coronavirus. However, ...]

Christian Seifert, the chief executive of the German Football League (DFL), will leave his role when his contract expires in 2022. The 51-year-old has held the most senior role in the DFL since 2005. However, Seifert's current deal is up in two years' time and he has announced he does not intend to agree an ...]

Germany’s Social Democrats have remained quiet for months as their coalition partner, Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats, have tackled this pandemic. But it seems as if some have had enough. Social Democrats are fed up with how the federal government has relied on decrees and executive orders during the epidemic, rather than using the proper legislative procedures. Critics believe Merkel and her cabinet have effectively neutralised Germany’s national parliament and now govern in whatever way they want. A law proposed by Merkel’s health minister Jens Spahn could be the straw that breaks...

The number of Jewish people in Europe has gone down by 60 percent in the past 50 years, mostly due to an exodus from the former Soviet Union, which collapsed in 1991, a new study by London-based think-tank the Institute for Jewish Policy Research has said. Populations drooped drastically in Russia and Ukraine, but increased in Austria, Germany, Portugal, and Spain. Some 70,000 Israeli-born Jews have also moved to Europe.

Video footage in by German daily Der Spiegel and other media has shown the EU border control agency, Frontex, has been systematically helping the Greek coastguard illegally push back refugee boats into Turkish waters. "Greek authorities have confirmed that an internal inquiry had been launched," Frontex said on Twitter. Its own staff had acted "in full respect of fundamental rights and international law," Frontex added.

The mayor of a small German seaside town now faces sanctions from a bipartisan coalition in the US Congress - because local companies are working on the Nord Stream 2 German-Russian pipeline.