Germany

Iran has threatened to boycott next week's Frankfurt Book Fair because organisers have invited the author Salman Rushdie, who still has a fatwa against him, as a guest speaker.
 

Car-hiring service Uber has started a petition calling on users to stand up for its right to remain active in the Bulgarian market, its website shows.

It explains[BG] the petition could send a strong message to the government demanding that it that citizens say "yes" to innovations, new regulations, and the right to choose.

Romania has decided to join a minority of EU countries that will allow the growth of genetically modified crops.

New EU rules permit the cultivation of GM crops if they are deemed "healthy and safe".

The law, adopted in March, cleared the way for new GM crops to be approved after years of deadlock.

Bulgarians living abroad will be able to vote in the national referendum on October 25 on the introduction of remote electronic voting at 312 polling stations in 45 countries.

The largest numbers of polling stations will be opened in the US, Spain, and Germany, according to a media statement of Bulgaria's Central Electoral Commission (CEC).

Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann is visiting Athens this week to help Greece tackle its huge refugee problem.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will accompany the Austrian leader to the island of Lesbos in the east Aegean, one of the “hotspots” where refugees are registered before being relocated to other EU countries.

The International World Beard and Moustache Championships are underway in the little village of Leogang in Austria. More than 350 contestants from 20 countries are there to vy for an international placing.

For over a year, and more in some cases, the contestants have groomed and pruned their spectacular beards and moustaches as though they were works of art.

German reunification a quarter of a century ago has served to marginalize Turkish immigrants, pushing some of them to become more defensive, says a scholar.

The head of the European Parliament told a group of German regional newspapers that the emissions scandal at Volkswagen (VW) would hit the German economy hard but Europe?s biggest carmaker was likely to survive the crisis. 

Germany?s finance and economy ministers have played down the risk of a broader economic danger for Germany from the scandal. 

Chancellor Angela Merkel on Oct.4 said the emissions scandal that has hit car giant Volkswagen was "dramatic" but would not inflict lasting damage to Germany's reputation.

Greek PM Alexis Tsipras had telephone contact with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Austrian Chanceller Werner Faymann to discuss the management of refugees. A statement issued by the Greek government following the call on Saturday states that the three leaders agreed to further cooperate in managing the refugee crisis.