German of the day: Selbstmordattentat

That means suicide attack.

Suicide bombing planned in Berlin?: 22-year-old Syrian arrested on suspicion of terrorism – Special forces arrested a suspected IS sympathizer in Berlin on Saturday. Investigators found material suitable for constructing explosive devices in his possession.

German of the day: Russische Wegwerf-Agenten

That means disposable Russian agents.

You know, low-level agents who are not not professional spies but hired for small sums to carry out minor acts of sabotage, then “discarded?”

Things like photographing military sites, setting vehicles and facilities on fire, spray-painting political slogans, spreading pro-Russian content and conspiracy theories, etc. They would normally also sabotage rail lines and other forms of strategic infrastructure but the Germans have already beat them to it.

Putin’s secret terror in Germany – Russia’s “disposable agents” pose a threat to internal and external security. It is difficult to expose them. That is why German politicians are puzzling over how to defend the country against them. Now, for the first time, a strategy is taking shape.

It’s a Mossad state of affairs…

When Germany’s security and intelligence services aren’t able to do their job on their own.

Mossad reveals role in arrest of Hamas-linked cell in Germany said plotting to kill Jews – Effort to stop the cell spanned several countries, and was ‘part of an extensive Mossad effort throughout Europe’ that busted weapons caches, saw other operatives detained.

The Mossad was involved in Wednesday’s arrest of a Hamas-linked cell in Germany that planned to carry out attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets, the agency announced Friday.

The Israeli foreign intelligence service said the arrest was possible because of close coordination between the Mossad and Germany’s security and intelligence services.

You should have slashed the UNRWA budget first

But it’s a good start, I guess.

Germany slashes aid and development budget – Germany has cut its budget for international development by 8% and emergency aid has been halved. Aid agencies warn of drastic consequences.

The governing coalition of the conservatives (CDU/CSU) and the Social Democrats (SPD) has slashed the budget of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) by 8% to just under €10 billion ($11.47 billion).

Development Minister Reen Alabali Radovan (SPD) is clear about the impact of the cut: “My budget is down by around €910 million compared to the previous year. In view of increasing crises, Germany is investing far less in international cooperation than is actually urgently needed.”

Super safe!

Germany is as safe as it can be (all things considered). So move along! Nothing to see here!

Crime statistics: How safe is life in Germany?

Cases of drug trafficking, knife crime and violence on the streets are frequently reported in the German media. But is crime on the rise? And how does Germany compare internationally?

“The new Germany” is “a shame, a travesty,” says Kurt Caz.

In a video, the South African-German travel blogger presents Frankfurt’s notorious Bahnhofsviertel neighborhood near the city’s main train station as the new normal, which has been “completely taken over by crime, illegal migrants and drugs.”

Car-rammings, stabbings, bombs…

It’s up to you.

The main thing is that everybody has a jolly good carnival celebration time!

German police on alert after Islamic State calls for carnival attacks – Police are on high alert ahead of Germany’s traditional carnival celebrations this week after social media connected to the Islamic State militant group called for attacks targeting revellers in Cologne and Nuremberg, said police spokespeople.

Bild newspaper reported that a German-language propaganda site run by IS had published a computer-created collage image calling on viewers to “choose your next attack target”, and listed the dates and locations of upcoming carnival events.

German of the day: Anschlag

That means attack. As in terrorist attack. As in the next one.

Munich: Söder speaks of attack – driver 24-year-old Afghan – A car has driven into a crowd of strikers in Munich. At least 28 people were injured, including children. Bavaria’s Minister President speaks of a “suspected attack”. The driver of the car was an Afghan asylum seeker.

Tis the season to “reflect growing diversity”

Berlin’s Christmas markets have been reflecting this for years.

Berlin’s traditional Christmas markets reflect city’s growing diversity – The smells of mulled wine, roasted almonds and hot bratwurst are wafting through the air across the German capital again, as the city’s more than 100 Christmas markets are opening their doors this week. But the annual tradition that Germans have cherished since the Middle Ages — and successfully exported to much of the Western world — has become a pretty diverse affair, at least in Berlin.

The Stasi wasn’t all bad

They were good at secret house searches, for instance.

Will German police get to do secret house searches?

Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office wants to secretly break into homes as part of anti-terrorism measures. That is currently prohibited, but the interior minister has far-reaching plans.

At first glance, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser’s (SPD) proposal is reminiscent of a method practiced by the “the Stasi,” the Ministry for State Security of the former communist East Germany, whose secret police infiltrated the homes of suspected regime opponents in order to tap their phones.

At second glance too.