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The North and South American leg of singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour was in trouble on Tuesday, as his supporting acts dropped out one after the other over the removal of rapper Macklemore from the lineup. Macklemore said Monday that he was being dropped from the tour for his pro-Palestinian stance. Sheeran distanced himself from the decision on Tuesday, insisting the tour's promoters had made the call. Macklemore said billionaire Robert Kraft was behind the movement that culminated with dropping him from Sheeran's tourImage: Jack Plunkett/Invision/AP Photo/picture alliance Who dropped out of the Ed Sheeran tour and what did they say? Irish acts Aaron Rowe and folk backing band Beoga announced they were leaving the tour, as did Danish singer Lukas Graham and Grammy award-winnin...

09/16/2026September 16, 2026Germany agrees security package after Berlin Pride attackThe German government has agreed on a 10-point security package in response to the terror attack on Berlin's Christopher Street Day (CSD), the city's version of Pride, in July. The Cabinet approved the measures less than two months after a man drove a car into a crowd near Berlin's Tiergarten just after the CSD parade, killing one person and injuring 31 others. The package includes greater use of electronic ankle monitors for people considered security threats, tougher penalties for knife attacks and expanded powers to retain IP addresses and other communications data. Under the plan, authorities would make greater use of electronic ankle monitors to track people classified as potential security threats...

The price of a liter of beer at Munich's Oktoberfest has risen fivefold since 1985, far outpacing overall inflation in Germany, according to an analysis by UniCredit's chief economist in Germany, Andreas Rees. A Mass, the traditional 1-liter (2.1-pint) serving at Oktoberfest, will cost an average of €15.61 ($18.50) this year. In 1985, it cost about 6.25 Deutschmarks, equivalent to €3.20 after conversion at the fixed euro exchange rate. The figures were analyzed by UniCredit economist Andreas Rees ahead of the opening of the world's largest beer festival on Saturday. Beer prices at Oktoberfest have increased by around 400% since 1985, according to Rees, using data from Munich's statistical office. Consumer prices across Germany, by comparison, have risen by around 120% over the same per...

Playwright and author Bonnie Greer died aged 77, her husband David Hutchins said on Wednesday in a statement to British media.  A celebrated writer born in Chicago who at first plied her trade in New York, Greer spent most of her adult life in the UK. She took up dual citizenship and became a regular and prominent political commentator in Britain. Greer attended the Frankfurt book fair in 2019 at the height of the post-Brexit debate for a panel on the topicImage: DW/E. Grenier What did Greer's husband say about her death?  Greer's widower Hutchins hailed her as "an acclaimed playwright, author, critic, cultural and political commentator whose intelligence, courage and distinctive voice made an enduring contribution to British cultural and public life."  Hutchins said his late wife had...

Skip next section Compulsory troop deployments in Lithuania: German Defense Ministry09/14/2026September 14, 2026Compulsory troop deployments in Lithuania: German Defense MinistryGerman Defense Minister Boris Pistorius will order compulsory troop deployments in Lithuania. According to the Defense Ministry, this is intended to fill gaps in the German armoured brigade's complement. Several hundred military personnel would be affected, with the shortages in logisticians and IT specialists being the main reason for the move. The ministry said that 80% of the Lithuanian brigade's positions are filled with volunteers. "The principle of voluntariness remains unchanged as our guiding principle," the ministry said.   https://p.dw.com/p/5MaXsSkip next section German finance minister and UniCredit...