A German court ruled that circumcision for non-medical reasons is bodily harm – a criminal assault – a decision that is bound to create uproar among Jewish and Muslim communities. Is it a reasonable ruling? Have your say. Doctors called upon to perform circumcisions for religious reasons have long been in a legal grey area – but when challenged, could plea that there was no clear ruling... 

Used software licenses may be resold by both individuals and companies, the European Court of Justice has ruled. A major victory against copyright holders comes as the European Parliament prepares for a vote on the controversial ACTA treaty. ­A major blow has been dealt to any company trying to restrict the resale of its software on the European market, after the court in Luxembourg put an end to... 

The German parliament has voted in favor of the EU’s permanent bailout scheme and more lenient budget rules. Chancellor Merkel has been criticized with making a U turn in policy, easing borrowing costs on flagging banks without additional austerity. “Today Germany, with the approval of the fiscal pact and the ESM [European Stability Mechanism] by all parties in both houses of parliament, will... 

Most EU members are in favor of issuing eurobonds, but Germany opposes mutual debt obligations. Don Coxe, an investor and chairman of Coxe Advisors LLP, says Berlin cannot afford to hand out more bailouts when confidence in EU banks is crumbling. ­The talks are taking place in Brussels, where EU leaders are meeting for two days to agree on new growth measures for the union. RT: In a recent blog article... 

German Defense Minister Thomas de Maiziere Germany has strongly opposed military intervention in Syria, adding voice to the calls for a political solution to the country’s prolonged crisis. German Defense Minister Thomas de Maiziere on Wednesday warned that military action — strongly supported by Britain, France and the US — could easily lead to an all-out war in Syria. “We must... 

Western European countries are preparing the ground for the revision of the Schengen border control and recovery. France and Germany are primarily interested in taking such measures aimed at ensuring the EU’s internal borders. The new French president Francois Hollande, as well as his predecessor, Nicolas Sarkozy, is in favor of strengthening the fight against illegal migration. Enhancement... 

Germany is supplying the Israeli Navy with submarines that are fully capable of being fitted to carry cruise missiles with nuclear-warheads, Spiegel reports. Thus, if Israel does indeed have any such missiles, it could deploy them immediately. ­The extensive military deal suggests that German shipyards are to supply Israel with six Dolphin-class diesel-electric submarines, four of which have already... 

Several days ago, the world was shocked with the news from Europe. A family couple from Bosnia and Herzegovina had been keeping a young German woman as their slave for eight years. The victim of family violence is now 19 years of age. The Bosnian couple – Milenko Marinkovic, 52, and his wife Slavojka Marinkovic, 45, – were torturing and starving an underage girl, whose name was Karla.... 

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle has expressed his country’s support for Iran’s peaceful nuclear energy program, saying Berlin is ready to provide Tehran with “technical assistance” in using the nuclear energy. Iran has the right to use the nuclear energy for civilian purposes, and we are ready to support Iran technically in this regard,... 

A Loewe television using a TOLED screen, designed by Michael Friebe, was shortlisted in the 2011 iF Concept Design competition The television of the future could be a see-through panel which ‘vanishes’ when you turn it off – carrying on the current trend for ever-thinner and more unobtrusive sets. The technology – TOLED – actually exists, although it’s still fairly... 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel left little ground to hope she would abandon or moderate the austerity program for Europe as she warned that growth on new loans would push the EU into deeper crisis. “Growth through structural reform is sensible, important and necessary,” she said during an address to the German Parliament. “Growth through debt would throw us back to the beginning of the... 

Koran handouts in Germany: Freedom of religion vs. fears of Muslim extremism One of the most radical Muslim confessions is on an aggressive campaign of preaching ultra-conservative Islam in Germany. Protected by the freedom of religion act, they spread a message that raises concerns within German society. The Salafist community in Germany organized a campaign with long-term goal to put no fewer than... 

The 5300-year-old iceman mummy was found in the Alps in 1991. Italian and German scientists have extracted the World’s oldest known human blood cells from the body of the 5300-year-old ’Otzi’ iceman mummy. The discovery was made using an atomic force microscope that examined tissue sections of a wound in the body of the mummy and detected red blood cells. The body of the Stone Age human has... 

Angela Merkel (left) and Francois Hollande (right) German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French Socialist Party presidential candidate Francois Hollande have had a war of words over how to handle the European debt crisis. It is “not for Germany to decide for the rest of Europe”, Hollande, who is the favorite in France’s May 6 run-off election, said on Friday, The Daily Telegraph reported. He... 

The parliamentary faction leader of the German Christian Democrats (CDU), Volker Kauder A leading member of the German parliament’s conservative bloc and an ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel says Islam is not part of the German society. “Islam is not part of our tradition and identity in Germany and so does not belong in Germany,” Volker Kauder, who heads Merkel’s conservative bloc at...