Just as the World Health Organisation warned that the United States will become the next COVID-19 epicentre, US President Donald Trump wants a deadline for lockdowns to end. In two weeks, Americans could be back to work, according to his tweets
After receiving classified briefings about the coronavirus, some US Senators sold off stocks and then downplayed the virus’ risk to the public. Financial reporting currently shows that five senators have sold major holdings in recent months. Public outrage is high and calls for resignations are mounting.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel used all her political weight in a televised address on Wednesday to call on Germans to respect the containment rules imposed because of the coronavirus, urging them to show solidarity and help counter "the biggest challenge since World War Two".
The Trump administration enacted its planned duty rate increase for aircraft imported from the EU on Wednesday (18 March), amid the continuing spread of COVID-19 and fears of a subsequent recession. These measures will increase the rate from 10 to 15%, particularly impacting Airbus.
In some ways, the future of work is already here, as digitisation and the drive to decarbonise have begun to change the face of employment. With radical changes to the workplace on the horizon, labour unions and other worker representatives want to chart a path that makes the transition fair for all involved.
Voters in Hamburg gave the SPD one of their best election results in recent years in a regional election on Sunday (23 February). With 38,9% of the vote, Peter Tschentscher (SPD) will continue as the city’s mayor, while the Greens doubled their share of the vote to reach 24,4%. Chancellor Angela Merkel's CDU, however, performed poorly.
CDU party leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer is stepping down. Announced during the CDU executive committee meeting on Monday morning (10 February), she has immediately renounced her Chancellor candidacy and intends to give up her position as CDU chair soon.
Thuringia's freshly-elected Minister-President, Thomas Kemmerich of the liberal FDP party, stepped down on Saturday (8 February) after his alliance with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) triggered nation-wide outrage.
Thomas Kemmerich, a liberal democrat from the FDP party, became Thuringia's new Minister-President on Wednesday (5 February), thanks to support from the Christian Democrats (CDU) and the far-right – a first in post-war Germany. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Football club 1899 Hoffenheim is planting trees in Uganda to help protect the environment. In the past, sustainability in football meant switching off the stadium lights in the evening, but many clubs are now breaking new ground.
With thousands of fans travelling to matches and giant stadiums being built, football has a considerable climate impact. Some clubs are increasingly aware of this and try to limit their carbon emissions. A club from the small city of Mainz has been leading the movement for a decade.
