Latest news with #FriederikeHeine
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Germany's Merz says court ruling will not stop migration crackdown
By Friederike Heine and Andreas Rinke BERLIN (Reuters) -Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Tuesday a court ruling that German authorities acted unlawfully when border police expelled three Somali asylum seekers could restrict his government's migration crackdown but would not stop it altogether. People would continue to be turned away at the German border, he said. A Berlin administrative court said on Monday the expulsion of the three unnamed Somalis, who were sent back to Poland after arriving at a train station in eastern Germany, was "unlawful". It said the asylum application should have been processed by Germany under the European Union's so-called Dublin rules that determine which country is responsible for processing a claim. The ruling was a setback for Merz's government, which won a federal election in February after promising a crackdown on migration that has caused concern in neighbouring countries. The court ruling has "possibly further restricted the scope for manoeuvre here," Merz told a local government congress. "But the scope is still there. We know that we can still reject people." "We will, of course, do this within the framework of European law, but we will also do it to protect public safety and order in our country and to relieve the burden on cities and municipalities," he said. Migration is among German voters' biggest concerns and a backlash against an influx of new arrivals has contributed to a rise in the popularity of the far-right Alternative for Germany party, which came second in February's election. It is a big shift since Germany's "Refugees Welcome" culture during Europe's migrant crisis in 2015 under Merz's conservative predecessor, Angela Merkel. Merz's government issued an order in May to reject undocumented migrants, including asylum seekers, at Germany's borders. Monday's ruling was seized on by critics as evidence that Merz's migration policy was unworkable. "The administrative court has determined that Dobrindt's policy of rejecting asylum seekers is unlawful, contrary to European law, and now the Federal Ministry of the Interior should really start thinking about how to finally put an end to this nonsense," Karl Kopp of the pro-immigration advocacy group Pro Asyl told Reuters. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt defended the expulsions, saying he would provide the court with justifications for banning entry. (Writing by Matthias Williams, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Berlin says aid that entered Gaza this week is 'too little, too late'
BERLIN (Reuters) -The aid trucks that Israel has allowed into the Gaza Strip this week are "too little, too late," a spokesperson for the German government said on Friday. "This is far too little, too late and too slow," the spokesperson said. "Now it's a matter of increasing it significantly ... and ensuring that these aid supplies reach the people so that the suffering in the Gaza Strip comes to an end," he added. (Writing by Friederike Heine; editing by Matthias Williams)
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
UN humanitarian office rejects Israeli plan to shut down current aid system in Gaza
BERLIN (Reuters) - The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on Tuesday rejected a plan by Israeli authorities to shut down the existing aid system in Gaza. "We do not accept a proposal and a plan that does not live up to the core fundamental humanitarian principles of impartiality, neutrality, and independent delivery of aid," said OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke in Geneva. Israel's plan is "designed to further control and restrict supplies, which is the opposite of what is needed," Laerke added. (Reporting by Friederike Heine; editing by Matthias Williams)
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Holcim spin-off Amrize plans 8-11% adjusted EBITDA growth through 2028
ZURICH (Reuters) - Holcim's North American spin-off Amrize is targeting annual growth in adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) of about 8-11% between 2025 and 2028, the building materials company said on Tuesday. The listing of Amrize remains on track by the end of the first half of 2025, the company said in a statement ahead of its investor day in New York. The company is planning annual revenue growth of about 5-8% over the 2025-2028 period, it said. The separation is likely to be one of the biggest deals in the global construction industry. The company targeted a $30 billion valuation when it was first announced in January 2024. In 2024, Amrize generated $11.7 billion in revenue, equivalent to an annual growth rate of 13% since 2021, a year when the global economy rebounded strongly from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Adjusted EBITDA was $3.2 billion last year, making for annual growth of 16% since 2021. The business, which has more than 1,000 sites across the United States and Canada and 19,000 employees, is the largest cement manufacturer in North America. Still, the U.S. construction market is experiencing difficulties with high interest rates weighing on residential and commercial construction projects, while high inflation is reducing the impact of government infrastructure projects. (Writing by Dave Graham, Editing by Friederike Heine)
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russian teen arrested for planning attack in Berlin
BERLIN (Reuters) - An 18-year-old Russian national has been arrested on suspicion of planning a politically motivated attack in Berlin, German police said on Friday, days before the country holds a national election. The teen was arrested on Thursday and placed in investigative custody on Friday, police said in a statement. They added that he is being investigated on a charge of preparing a serious act of violence endangering the state, but declined to comment further on the background and motive. State prosecutors and the Russian embassy did not immediately respond to written requests for comment from Reuters. (Writing by Friederike Heine; editing by Matthias Williams)
