Bundestag

Germany is facing calls for a second lockdown before Christmas after recording 585 deaths and 29,875 new infections in one day - the highest numbers since the pandemic began.

"We have to act urgently. We have to do more than was previously planned," warned Economy Minister Peter Altmaier.

Russia and Ukraine also reported record numbers of fatalities on Friday.

Following Turkey's invasion of Syria, a new poll has shown that 58% of Germans want to oust Turkey from the NATO military alliance, according to the BGNES.

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias is visiting Berlin on Monday, where he will be holding talks with German counterpart Heiko Maas and Bundestag President Wolfgang Schaeuble.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel walks past Alexander Gauland (L), parliamentary group co-leader of Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), at the beginning of a session at the Bundestag (lower house of parliament) on June 28, 2018 in Berlin. AFP PHOTO / John MACDOUGALL

Former finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble was elected speaker of Germany's lower house of parliament on Tuesday, a position from which he will try to impose discipline on far-right lawmakers who opposed his appointment, reported Reuters.

Germany's Bundestag lower house of parliament will not need to hold a full debate on paying out the next tranche of aid to Greece, the leader of Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative group in parliament said on Tuesday.

Asking the German lower house to debate the eurozone's decision to give Greece a new credit lifeline could lead to market uncertainty, Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said on Friday.

Ahead of a strict deadline, Turkey has legally fulfilled 55 of a total of 72 criteria set by the EU for granting Turkish citizens visa-free travel, according to Mehmet Kas?m Gülp?nar, the head of the Turkish Parliament's EU Harmonization Commission.

"According to the situation a week ago, we have legally fulfilled 55 of our liabilities," Gülp?nar said on April 20.

The German military is preparing to send more troops who will operate early-warning defense planes to support NATO ally Turkey in order to contribute to the protection of the country's airspace from possible threats from neighboring Syria. 

Bundestag Vice President Claudia Roth criticizes German Chancellor Merkel's bargaining with Turkey, saying it will result in more Syrian refugees staying in TurkeyThe vice president of Germany's Bundestag has deeply criticized her government's bargaining with Turkey in an attempt to persuade Turkey to agree to a migrant action plan in return for the carrot of greater visa liberalization.