DW analyzes Klopp's methods and relationship with the team as shown over the past couple of months in this article: Klopp's first Germany internationals: What did we learn?

Social Democrat groups oppose coalition's working week reform

Grassroots groups within the Social Democrats (SPD) — the junior partner in Germany's conservative-led coalition government — have spoken out against plans to "flexibilize" the working week in a position paper.

In question is a paragraph in the coalition agreement that speaks of "the possibility of a weekly rather than a daily maximum working time."  

The conservative Christian Democrat (CDU)-Christian Social Union (CSU) bloc has pushed to have a maximum number of hours that can be worked per week rather than the current daily standard limit of eight hours.

Although the four SPD groups fundamentally accept the idea, they are calling for strict controls, among other things wanting collective labor agreements under which both parties work out details as "a necessary prerequisite."

They also say exceptions should made in certain sectors where illegal employment is prevalent.

Employers' associations in June objected to the idea of collective labor agreements as a coercive measure when it was put forward by the Labor Ministry, leading to its retraction, with the CDU saying that it went against the coalition agreement.

The position paper submitted by the SPD groups could thus lead to a new split in the coalition, stating as it does: "It is not in keeping with a modern reform of working hours regulation or a better compatibility of work and family when bosses can decide alone when employees can knock off work."

German court sets limits on deportation detention

Germany's Federal Court of Justice (BGH) has ruled that a person facing deportation cannot be detained as a flight risk simply because their past behavior suggests they might try to avoid being deported.

The case concerned a stateless Palestinian man who sought asylum at a police station in Germany in April 2023. Austrian authorities had already issued a decision requiring him to return.

A court in the German city of Duisburg ordered the man detained while his transfer was being arranged.

The courts argued that his previous actions indicated a risk that he would try to evade deportation. He had lived in Austria since 2020, where two asylum applications had been rejected, and had also applied for asylum in Belgium and Germany.

But the man had never explicitly said that he intended to avoid deportation.

The BGH ruled that his behavior alone was not enough to establish this particular ground for detention.

A person's words do not necessarily have to state the intention literally, the judges said. But it must be "clear and unambiguous" from what the person says and the circumstances that they intend to evade deportation.

The court found that the man's detention from May 7 to June 6, 2023 had therefore violated his rights.

German immigration law provides several other grounds on which people can be detained pending deportation.

Germany relies on Syrian workers amid return debates

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IN DEPTH: Two German scientists in Nobel-winning trio

Peter Hegemann from Germany's Humbolt University and Georg Nagel from the University of Würzburg have won this year's Nobel Prize in medicine alongside their US colleague, Karl Deisseroth.

You can read more about their achievements in this article: German and US scientists win Nobel Prize in medicine

Germany at risk of 'violent conflict' with Russia — intelligence chief

Germany is facing a growing risk of a violent confrontation with Russia as Moscow continues a campaign of hybrid warfare with other countries in Europe, the head ‌of ⁠Germany's BND ⁠foreign intelligence service warned on Monday.