Germany's dual citizenship reform expected to be passed in the Bundesrat
The long-awaited reform to the naturalisation law is expected to pass the final hurdle on Friday.Â
The draft law - which would allow people to hold multiple nationalities and reduce the amount of time someone needs to have been resident in Germany in order to naturalise from eight years to five - has cleared the Bundestag. But the Bundesrat, which represents the states, must still nominally agree to it.
That is expected to happen in the morning. The legislation will then be signed into law and come into force three months later, with the timeline suggesting this will happen in mid-May.Â
READ ALSO: German Bundesrat to debate dual citizenship law on February 2nd
Transport strikes hit GermanyÂ
Local transport strikes in all German states except Bavaria are taking place on Friday.Â
That means that there will be considerable restrictions for passengers in around 80 cities on Friday, affecting buses, the U-Bahn, and trams. Some cities also run public ferry lines, and these will also be affected.
In Berlin the strike is only occurring early in the morning and finishes around 10am.Â
READ ALSO: Where will public transport in Germany be affected by strikes on Friday?
Meanwhile, travellers scheduled to fly from Hamburg will also face major disruption as a security staff strike is ongoing there on Friday.
It comes after strikes hit several German airports on Thursday, grounding air traffic and affecting tens of thousands of passengers.Â
UEFA announces 21 German locations for Euro 2024
UEFA hasannounced the locations of the 21 base camps for teams participating in Euro 2024 in Germany, just over four months before the opening match in Munich.
The final three teams to play at the tournament will be confirmed after a qualification round in March.
Host nation Germany will be based in the northern Bavarian town of Herzogenaurach, the headquarters of kit manufacturer Adidas, having been based in Berlin for the 2006 World Cup.
Champions Italy will be based in Iserlohn, close to Dortmund, while 2016 winners Portugal will set up camp next to an 800-year old monastery near Harsewinkel.
Euro 2020 runners up England will be based on a golf resort in the central German village of Blankenhain, near Leipzig.
England manager Gareth Southgate said in 2023 he wanted a secluded venue where players could bring their families, avoiding a repeat of the off-field.
Deutsche Bank to cut jobs after drop in 2023 profit
Germany's biggest lender Deutsche Bank on Thursday announced plans to slash 3,500 jobs as part of a major cost-cutting drive after its net profit fell in 2023.
The group reported a net profit attributable to shareholders of €4.2 billion, a 16-percent drop on the year before when profits were boosted by a one-off tax benefit.
Costs related to the company's savings and efficiency programme -- first announced in 2019 -- also weighed on net profit, with Deutsche spending €566 million on restructuring and severance expenses.
Revenues, however, jumped six percent year-on-year to €28.9 billion thanks to the European Central Bank's higher interest rates.
Chief executive Christian Sewing in a statement praised the bank's performance in "an uncertain environment" and highlighted that Deutsche had achieved a pre-tax profit of nearly €5.7 billion, the highest in 16 years.
Berlin film fest demands 'freedom' for two Iran directors
The Berlin film festival, which has long championed Iran's embattled directors, urged Tehran Thursday to allow two filmmakers who have reportedly been slapped with a travel ban to attend this month's event.
The Berlinale has invited Maryam Moghaddam and Behtash Sanaeeha to present their new movie "My Favourite Cake" in competition for the Golden Bear top prize.
However it said in a statement that it had learned Moghaddam and Sanaeeha have been "banned from travelling, have had their passports confiscated, and face a court trial in relation to their work as artists and filmmakers".
Organisers Carlo Chatrian und Mariette Rissenbeek said they were "shocked and dismayed" by the reports and called on Iranian authorities "to return the passports and to end all restrictions preventing" the two from attending.
"The Berlinale is a festival fundamentally committed to freedom of speech, freedom of expression and freedom of the arts, for all people around the world," the organisers said.
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