According to the German press agency (dpa), the German cabinet took a notable decision on Wednesday --- to grant tax relief for electric or hybrid company cars. The move is apparently aimed at increasing the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in Germany.

As a result of the decision by the German government, the large scale subsidy will be applicable to electric or hybrid company cars which are either purchased or leased between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2021.

Till now, employees driving company cars privately were required to file a monetary benefit of 1 percent of the official list price of the car. This tax will be reduced by half -- to 0.5 percent -- for electric and hybrid vehicles in the future.

German direct bank N26 has raised money in series C funding round. The online bank offers services in majority of Eurozone. The bank founded in February 2013 has witnessed impressive growth due to its low costs and online services.

As per reports, N26 has raised $160 million in a funding round co-led by Allianz X, the digital investment unit of Allianz Group, and Tencent Holdings Ltd., a leading provider of internet value-added services in China. The funding will be used to accelerate N26’s global growth strategy and product vision.

Berlin [Germany], Nov. 21 : German Chancellor Angela Merkel has announced that she will run for a fourth term as chancellor in the next year's crucial national election.

Asserting the complex challenges she will face and "absurd" expectations Germany could take a world leadership role when Barack Obama leaves office, Merkel insisted that the decision was not easy for her to make.

"I have spent an unending amount of time contemplating this, as to stand as a candidate for a fourth time after 11 years in power is anything other than a trivial decision, neither for the country, for the party, nor for me," the Guardian quoted Merkel as saying in a press conference in Berlin on Sunday night.

Berlin - German drug regulator has welcomed the European Medicine Agency's (EMA) decision to suspend the marketing authorisation of around 700 generic drugs subjected to clinical trials by India's GVK Biosciences.

The move is being seen as the EU's determination to maintain high ethical and medical standards for approval of medicines.

The EU drug regulator's announcement is also an endorsement of the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices' (BfArM) decision last month to ban the sale of 80 generic drugs on account of "substantial deficiencies" in clinical trials conducted by GVK Biosciences, the agency said in a statement.

Frankfurt, Sept. 26 - Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived in Frankfurt, Germany. After an overnight halt, he leaves for the United States today.

On his arrival in New York today, the Mayor of New York, Bill de Blasio will call on him at Hotel New York Palace where he will be staying till Sunday.

Prime Minister Modi will begin his day with paying tributes at the 9/11 Memorial and museum, followed by meeting United Nations Chief Ban Ki Moon at UN Headquarters.

The Prime Minister will address the 69th session of United Nations general Assembly, UNGA, at around 8 p. m. Saturday, Indian Standard Time.

Berlin : Electronics giant Samsung Wednesday unveiled a range of premium devices, including Galaxy Note 4 which will be available in markets from October.

The company, the global leader in the smartphone segment, unveiled a new edition in Note series -- Galaxy Note Edge.

The Korean company also unveiled a new version of its smartwatch, Samsung Gear, and forayed into new segment of wearable device with Gear VR which can be sported in place of a goggle to watch movie, play games by inserting Note 4 in the accessory.

Berlin: Several major European carriers have announced that they will stick to their decision to suspend their flights to Israel despite the lifting of a flight ban by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

Germany's largest airlines Lufthansa said yesterday it extended its suspension of flights to Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport until Friday and cancelled all 16 flights of the Lufthansa group scheduled for the day from Frankfurt, Munich, Cologne, Zurich, Vienna and Brussels.

This decision was taken after a risk assessment of the situation in Tel Aviv, Lufthansa said in a press statement.

Hockenheim, Germany: Lewis Hamilton clocked the fastest lap in Friday afternoon`s second free practice session for this weekend`s German Grand Prix, the Briton outpacing Mercedes team-mate and championship leader Nico Rosberg.

On a scorching hot day at the Hockenheim circuit, with air temperatures touching 34 degrees Celsius and the track temperature reaching 58 degrees, the Mercedes men were again in a class of their own as they continued their battle for this year`s drivers` world championship.

Berlin: Germany's federal prosecutor said today he had opened an investigation over alleged snooping by the US National Security Agency (NSA) on Chancellor Angela Merkel's mobile phone.

"I informed parliament's legal affairs committee that I have started a preliminary investigation over tapping of a mobile phone of the chancellor," Harald Range said.

The long-anticipated probe, which follows an explosive allegations last year that US spies had eavesdropped on Merkel's mobile in the past, is against unnamed persons, Range said after addressing the committee.

Berlin, May 31 : German Chancellor Angela Merkel has backed Luxembourg's former premier Jean-Claude Juncker to become the next European Commission leader, a British daily reported Saturday.

"I will now lead all negotiations in the spirit that Jean-Claude Juncker should become president of the European Commission," The Guardian quoted Merkel as saying at the National Catholic Congress in Regensburg.

The move has dealt a blow to British Prime Minister David Cameron's attempts to block Juncker from taking up the role.

Berlin, May 31 : German Chancellor Angela Merkel Friday sent her congratulations to Ukrainian President-elect Petro Poroshenko and pledged continued support for his country, a government statement here said.

In a telegram to Poroshenko, Merkel said the presidential elections in Ukraine were an impressive sign of the Ukrainians' will to promote freedom and self-determination in their country with democratic tools, Xinhua reported.

Merkel encouraged the new president in his goal of strengthening cohesion of the Ukrainian people, saying the German government would continue its support for his country in the future.

Berlin, May 31 - Russia said Friday that it was prepared to continue negotiations with Ukraine over gas supplies next week once it receives partial debt payment from Ukraine.

Representatives from the European Union (EU), Russia and Ukraine met here Friday for a new round of trilateral talks in a bid to settle the ongoing gas dispute between Russia and Ukraine, days before a deadline set by Russia to cut the flow of gas if Ukraine does not pay unpaid bills, Xinhua reported.

Berlin, May 15 - Custodian Oliver Baumann moves from Freiburg to Hoffenheim, both clubs confirmed Wednesday.

Hoffenheim confirmed their second new arrival as Freiburg's custodian Oliver Baumann joined "1899" by putting pen to paper on a deal until June 2018, according to Xinhua.

Berlin, May 14 - Eintracht Frankfurt left-back Constant Djakpa agreed on a contract extension until 2016, the German football club said in an official statement.

Ivorian international Djakpa extended his current contract on Tuesday for two more years with the German Bundesliga team, reports Xinhua.

"Especially in this season, Constant has showed how important he is for the team. Therefore, it was clear to us that we want to renew his contract," Frankfurt's sporting director Bruno Huebner said.

Berlin, May 13 - Bundesliga team Bayer Leverkusen signed striker Josip Drmic from relegated Nuremberg until 2019.

The Swiss international put pen to paper Monday on a five-year deal to stay with the 'Werkself'. The striker joined Nuremberg in July 2013 to score 17 goals in 33 appearances, reports Xinhua.

However, Drmic's goals were not enough to help Nuremberg stay in Germany's top flight. Leverkusen's 21-year-old new arrival will now play in the Champions League playoffs instead of second division.

Berlin, May 12 : Thomas Tuchel has resigned as Mainz coach with immediate effect a year before his contract ended with the German football club.

A day after the Bundesliga season ended, Mainz announced at an official press conference Sunday that coach Thomas Tuchel asked to be released from his contract prematurely, reports Xinhua.

Tuchel informed club manager Christian Heidel in January about his resignation. However, the club and coach agreed to keep silent until the end of the season.

Berlin, April 24 : Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone Thursday appeared in a Munich court at the start of a trial on bribery charges.

The Briton has been charged with bribing jailed German banker Gerhard Gribkowsky to smoothen the sale of a stake in Formula One to private equity firm CVC in 2006, reports Xinhua.

If the 83-year-old is convicted, he could face up to 10 years in jail.

Ecclestone, a former used car salesman who became a billionaire by building the sport into a global money spinner over the past four decades, denies wrongdoing and says he will fight to clear his name. (IANS)

Munich, April 12 - German car producer BMW Group has recalled almost half a million cars with 6-cylinder engines, since realising that a screw in the engine compartment could possibly break and damage the engine in rare cases, a company official said Friday.

Around 489,000 cars with 6-cylinder engines that were manufactured between September 2009 and November 2011 are involved in the recall, Xinhua reported.

Berlin, April 2 : Lufthansa pilots began a three-day strike Wednesday, kicking off the biggest protest action in Lufthansa's corporate history and majorly paralysing air traffic of Europe's largest airline.

However, local media reported no chaos at Germany's two largest airports, Frankfurt and Munich, as a spokesman from the latter described the situation as "manageable", Xinhua reported.

The spokesman said the people were well informed and things were calm in the terminal.

Berlin, March 25 : Scientists have linked inadequate or disturbed sleep to the development of metabolic disorders, including diabetes and type 2 diabetes, in a review that highlights the significance of addressing sleep issues.

Addressing poor quality sleep should be a target for prevention and treatment of these disorders, said authors of the review published in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology journal.

"Metabolic health in addition to genetic predisposition, is largely dependent on behavioural factors such as dietary habits and physical activity.